Fear the Clash of Steel
by JoestarBooty
Summary: Across Equestria, there are countless different stories and myths that are spread around via the written word or word of mouth. Stories of great feats of strength, powerful wizards, or seemingly unkillable monsters. One such story is that of a warrior known as Shattering Steel, known for his many feats of strength that have brought many a victory for him.
1. Chapter 1: Intruder

Chapter 1: Intruder

Black Flag's eyes shot open to the sight of complete darkness, which covered everything like a thick fog. Even through the thick leather flap of the tent he shared with his friend Red Ink, he could still hear the annoying chirps of the crickets outside. But really, that wasn't what he cared about at the moment. Not like he would care about their non stop chirping any other time either, but especially not now. Not even a little bit. No, he focused on the noise that stirred him awake in the first place; the distinct sound of a twig snapping under too much weight. Unless twigs begun snapping themselves, that meant something or somepony was outside. And they were getting closer and closer to the tent, whatever they were. The sound of hooves pushing softly against the dirt grew louder and louder with every passing second.

His first conclusion was that Red Ink was just coming back to the tent after he went outside to take a piss or something like that. It would make sense, after all, the simplest solution was more often than not the correct one. Unfortunately, his hopes on that being the case were quickly dashed when the sounds of the Pegasus snoring beside him reached his ears. He quietly sat up and began to try and formulate a plan. Unfortunately, he wasn't the smartest pony and the best idea he could come up with on the fly was to just beat the daylights out of whatever came through the tent flap.  
His eyes darted to the other side of the tent. He could see his sword's hilt sticking out proudly...while the rest of the weapon was buried under a bunch of cooking equipment. That was just fine and dandy. Why not just put it behind a brick wall on the other side of the woods that happened to be on fire, for how much help that hunk of metal was gonna do him as he tried to yank it from that heap of junk.

With every step that the unknown intruder took, Black Flag could feel his grey fur standing up on end and his heart pounding so rapidly he was certain that it would give away that he was awake to the mysterious creature outside. Knowing that the light from his magic would also give away his element of surprise, Black Flag blindly searched the ground around his sleeping space for something that he could use as a makeshift weapon. Dammit, why did he think it was a good idea rest his sword against the far wall of the tent? Well, that question was answered with a very simple answer: He was a cretin and was going to pay the price for his stupidity in about five seconds if he didn't find something to protect himself right now.

He frantically scraped against the dirt for something he could use as a weapon. It felt like forever, but his determination was rewarded when his hooves hit something thick. It felt like a book spine, actually. Black Flag suddenly put two-and-two together and realised it was Red Ink's manifesto, which he was writing in the previous night. What great luck on his part for finding such a completely useless weapon. On the plus side, once the intruder finished putting 23 stab wounds into their bodies he could swipe that book up, decide to take a look inside and become invigorated enough to take down the bourgeois oppressors of the working class. Hooray. But seeing no other options available at the moment, Black Flag hurried to grab the book in his hooves and ready himself for whatever came through the tent, be it some lost foal looking for directions or a bloodthirsty Viking looking for vengeance after the slaughter of their family at the hooves of seafarers. Whatever it was, he would not let harm come to Red Ink no matter what.

Louder and louder the sounds became until they finally stopped right outside of the tent. Everything went deathly quiet. Everything around the unicorn seemed to stop as his panic and adrenaline began to truly take hold of his mind. Beads of sweat rolled down his muzzle and soaked his fiery red beard. He was both ready to meet the unknown foe and terrified to fight something that could possibly overpower him with ease when he was so poorly armed.  
The quiet stillness was finally shattered when the brown leather flap was finally pulled back, revealing a pony of undetermined gender on the other side. With the piercing light of the freezing moon to its back and mostly blocked by the clusters of trees around the tent, the figure was almost completely cloaked in the shadows, but the details did not matter to Black Flag. He only needed to rely on his instincts.

With a shrill shriek akin to the deathly wail of the fabled banshee filling the air, the unicorn sprung into action. He lunged forward with surprising speed, and with one fluid motion he swung the book across the silhouette's muzzle, which resounded with a very satisfying clunk. As it clenched its muzzle and released a groan of pain, the pony stumbled backward into the cool gleam of the moonlight revealing it to be a very familiar mare. Black Flag did not strike again, realizing his mistake almost immediately, which was quickly followed by a sheepish grin spreading across his face. She was an Earth pony, with a forest green coat and a dark brown mane that seemed to fall behind her like a powerful waterfall pouring over a vast wall of rocks, well-known to the two stallions and many other ponies that lived around the area as Golden Keg, the owner of the tavern she called Filosofem. Black Flag never knew why it was called that, because the last thing he thought of when he pictured philosophy was a run-down bar where brigades threw glasses at each other out of boredom. However, that wasn't exactly what he should have been focusing on anyway.

"Er, sorry about that," He said quickly as he tossed the book back into the tent so he could help the mare to stand. He pulled her to her hooves and began to dust her off, quietly hoping she wouldn't be too mad that he clocked her in the head with a book. And considering she had yet to say anything, which from previous experience with her was a good indication that she was royally pissed, things were looking grim. "Are you alright?" He asked quickly as he instinctively began taking a few steps away from her. "I swear, I had no clue that it was you who was out here."

For what felt like an eternity, the mare said nothing and did nothing. She was just standing there menacingly, with pure death seeming to blaze like the roaring fires of Fantloft in her murky eyes. While she might not have had the largest body build, Black Flag witnessed more than a few times where she subdued drunkards and thrown them out of her establishment without much trouble, so it would not be wise for him to underestimate her physical strength even with his magical advantage. He bit his lower lip; bracing himself for what he felt would be a very painful ass-kicking.


	2. Chapter 2: Red Sun

Black Flag continued to wait for the first strike from the mare, but it seemed to never come. It was after a couple of seconds that he noticed that not only had she not moved an inch, but she was also smiling. It started off small, sort of like a tiny crack in a mighty stone wall, but it quickly grew wider and wider until it formed into an all-out grin that doused the anger in her eyes as it formed. What was she smiling about? Was there something on his face? Why wasn't he bleeding profusely yet? Wait, was he hoping for that to happen like some kind of masochist? That would be kind of messed up if he was.

"I completely understand," She said, which finally broke the incredibly uncomfortable silence. Black Flag exhaled the breath he had been holding in for what felt like an eternity. What a relief that was. Hoping it was a good time for him to ask, he decided to pry at what she was even here for, and why she hadn't just called out from the outside to alert Red Ink or himself. Here went nothing.

"Glad to hear that, but why are you even here anyway? Why didn't you just wait till morning? You know that I come over to the tavern every morning. At the very least, you could have just told us you were outside instead of yanking open the flap and giving me a damn heart attack. I really could have gone the rest of my week without an obnoxious jump scare for cheap thrills." She didn't say anything at first. She just reached over to her side and grabbed something with her teeth. He couldn't see what it was due to the shadows and all that, but his curiosity was peaked, at the very least. He quickly found out, however, when she tossed it over to him in one quick motion: It was his pouch of bits. He must have left it at the bar when he and Red Ink visited the previous day. Forgetting that before leaving was bucking stupid, even by his standards.  
"I figured you would want that back. Don't worry, I didn't take any of it." Despite her claims, Black Flag still pulled open the pouch with his magic and dumped the contents onto the soil. While he counted every last bit, she continued her explanation. "As for why I didn't tell you two I was out here, it was simply because I thought it would be funny to see you piss yourself. And you know what? I was absolutely right. Until you smacked me with that book, anyway. That was considerably less funny."  
"I should think so," Black Flag said through gritted teeth as he tried and failed to hold back his tongue. What was previously concern for the barmaid dissolved into boiling anger towards her. "What were you bucking thinking?" He suddenly screamed, completely forgetting about the other occupant of the tent who was still trying to sleep. "If I grabbed my sword instead of that book, you would be dead right now! And let me tell you, cleaning up the mess would be a real pain in my ass."

"Alright, alright. I messed up. No need to get so mad at something as harmless as a little bit of fun," Golden Keg muttered with an annoyed roll of her eyes. For several seconds after that, neither of them spoke a word as the stallion finished counting the bits, before returning them to their pouch and pulling the drawstring closed. The unicorn then grabbed the pouch in his mouth and turned his back to the mare as he pulled the flap open once more. He had nothing left to say; he no longer cared. He just wanted to get back to bed and treat this entire experience like a bad hangover. I.e. try to forget it ever happened and never bring it up again as long as he lived. Much like the three years he spent trying to learn to play the harp, which was possibly the only mistake that rivaled his own birth in his personal list of largest screw-ups.  
"Look, if it will make you feel a little better, I got a letter a few days ago that said that Shattering Steel will be paying my tavern a little visit. I figured that you of all ponies would want to know about that." That seemed to get Black Flag's attention. The soft sound of the pouch dropping to the ground was heard right before the stallion turned to face Golden Keg; his mouth agape and his eyes widened in utter shock.  
"Are you bucking serious?" He inquired; voice raising to an excited shout. His mannerism reminded Golden Keg of a young foal, actually. When she gave a nod of affirmation, a wide smile spread across his muzzle, one that reached from ear to ear and revealed his pearly white teeth. His sapphire eyes twinkled with a sense of joy that the barmaid never thought she would see the usually bitter and cynical stallion have. It was like looking into the remnants of a golden age thought to have been abandoned long ago.

"When is he arriving?" Black Flag pressed as he tried to keep himself in check to prevent another outburst. He'd been infatuated with the legendary warrior since he was a foal. It all started when he first heard about how Steel somehow managed to subdue a foe that was twice his size in only a couple of strikes from his sword, despite his opponent being covered in thick steel armor and wielding a large battle ax that could split a bear in half with a single blow. Ever since Black Flag heard about this and other stunning feats performed by Shattering Steel, he read all he could about him and basically modeled his own life after the swordstallion; learning the way of the sword in hopes of fulfilling his dream to become a warrior that was as widely recognized as his hero.

"Sometime before dawn," She explained with a slight yawn. She suddenly realized that, with all the work she would have to do in a few hours, perhaps this was not the best time to play spooky. This was definitely not her finest moment. She quickly mumbled a goodbye, then finally turned back and began to leave the patch of woodlands so she could return home and get some shut-eye.

Black Flag just could not believe it! He was going to meet Shattering Steel! However, that meant he would need to wake up super early to get to Filosofem before Steel did or else he would probably get flocked with admirers before Black Flag could even say hello. That would kind of suck. Though maybe he would get lucky and only a few ponies would know who he was. Once he grasped the pouch of bits again and hurried back into the tent, he was shocked to find that Red Ink was still fast asleep. Sweet Celestia above, that Pegasus slept like the dead. Good thing too, because waking Red Ink up before his sleep schedule was finished was guaranteeing a very painful death. Black Flag just shrugged, tossed the bits off to one corner of the tent, and stretched out upon the cool ground, ready to catch a few more hours of sleep.  
Unfortunately, his plans did not work out as he hoped they would have. He was just far too excited to sleep. He just laid on the ground with his eyes closed for a little while, before he just gave up. He decided that it would just be better to wait for the arrival of Shattering Steel at the bar. Black Flag quietly stepped over the sleeping stallion and trotted over to where his sword was; buried under the cooking equipment. He then proceeded to carefully lift the different trinkets and pots and whatnot off the large weapon and set each piece off to the side. It might have been incredibly boring and tedious work, but he figured that a little bit of busywork was better than just yanking out the weapon and risking ruining the cooking tools. Or worse yet, waking up Red. He grabbed his sword with a dull white aura of magic stepped over the eponymous pony once more and was about to leave the tent when he suddenly heard something that made his blood run cold.

"Where are you going, Black Flag?" A familiar voice from behind him inquired. Black Flag slowly turned around to see, much to his worry, that Red Ink was awake. His harsh blue eyes locked with Black Flag's gaze, seeming to pierce right through him. Though, that wasn't any different from usual. It didn't matter if he was mad or upset or whatever, Red Ink's gaze still intimidated Black Flag greatly. It was something that he actually kind of liked. Red Ink didn't need brute strength to show power. No, not at all. His body language and his silver tongue could do all the work for him. As he patiently waited for the unicorn's answer, Red Ink got up and began to approach his comrade. Not wishing to make his hole any deeper than it probably already was, Black Flag immediately told the truth to his friend. Was his idea an absolutely ridiculous and stupid thing to do? Oh, most certainly. There was no doubt about that. But that didn't mean he should've tried exaggerating or telling a different story, that just wasn't the right thing to do.

"I see," Red Ink said with a sigh as he tapped his hoof against the ground; seemingly in deep thought. Surprisingly he didn't seem to be all that mad at all. Heck, he didn't even look annoyed. "I'm somewhat curious; would you mind if I joined you? I don't know much about him, but I feel that having a little company to wait alongside you is surely superior to going by yourself."  
"I don't see why not," Black Flag replied with a smile. The Pegasus presented a good point; it would be a lot better with a friend. Besides, that meant Black Flag could spend a few hours informing him about Shattering Steel. This would be great! "By the way Red, why did you get up in the first place? I didn't wake you up did I?" Red Ink shook his head, causing his snow-white mane to sift around his body delicately.

"No, not at all. I simply needed to get up to avoid soiling myself," His friend replied with a dry, humorless laugh. "Actually, if you will excuse me... Go on and head to the bar, I will catch up." Red Ink suddenly took off like a frightened animal, galloping out of the tent and into the woods with lightning speed. Black Flag was kind of shocked; he'd never seen that pony haul ass so quickly. The unicorn just shrugged and began to make his way to the bar located in the town of Hawk's Rest. He never knew why it was called that, seeing as there was a distinct lack of hawks in the town. He did see a hawk feather there once, but that wasn't exactly worth getting all riled up about. Bah, humbug. Not like he cared about rubbish like that anyway.

The town itself was eerily quiet at night. The chitter-chatter and lively joy of the townsfolk that made the small village seem to burst with life during the day now as silent as a graveyard, as most ponies returned to their homes after the moon rose into the night sky. There were still a few ponies out and about at this hour, but most of them were just the ever-diligent guards assigned to protecting the populace from whatever new threat showed up.

Black Flag continued to travel down the dark streets, the dim light of lanterns guiding his way to the bar. Even with the knowledge that there were guards stationed in the town, making his way down these lonely roads was giving him chills. That was partially the reason why he brought his sword along with him, but even that wasn't helping very much. He should have just gone with Red Ink while he took a leak and they could have journeyed into town together after he was done. Well, hindsight may have been 20/20 but that didn't help much in the present. He made his choice, and there wasn't much he could do about that now.

After a few more turns around town, Black Flag finally came across the tavern Filosofem. Such a pleasant and welcoming sight, if pleasant was a synonym for repulsive. Several windows were boarded up thanks to how often patrons were being smashed into them or objects were thrown out of them, and there was some kind of nasty stench that secreted from the bar. Vines crawled along the walls like the tendrils of a sea monster. Come to think of it, the place almost seemed to be begging to be shut down. It was a shit-hole, yeah, but it was also a very welcoming place for the rundown and downtrodden commoners of the town to come socialize. It didn't matter who the patrons were; pony, zebra, griffon, or even eldritch abominations called forth from beyond the realms of sanity. If they paid, they would be served.

The warm breath of the wind brushed through the stallion's fiery red mane as he rested his blade against the tavern's wall. As he sat down upon the ground, he looked around for Red Ink, hoping to spot the Pegasus soon. He shouldn't have been hard to find, considering both his mane and fur were white as snow. How long could it take for him to do his business and fly over to the bar, anyhow? Or to trot on over to it, even.

It was just as he was about to go look for his friend when he saw the pony approaching from the dark road that led to Filosofem. Thank goodness for that, because Black Flag was starting to grow quite anxious that something terrible happened to him. After all, Red Ink never carried a weapon of any kind, so he would be a prime target for something like a thief or a wild creature. A few moments later the stallion arrived at the bar and sat down beside Black Flag.

"What took you so long, Red? It's been at least fifteen minutes since I got here. Surely you don't take that long to piss, do you? You would have to be dousing the entire forest in urine for something like that to happen." Red Ink just shrugged. "Wait, you weren't...busy, were you?" For a few moments, the Pegasus just stared at him blankly, before he put two-and-two together and realized exactly what his friend meant.

"What?!" Red shouted in surprise; his cheeks becoming doused in a crimson red hue. "No! I wasn't _busy_ , Black Flag! I just got a little lost on my way back."

"Ah, I understand. Sorry about that misconception," Black Flag said with some embarrassment. Why did his mind immediately jump straight to that conclusion? That was completely juvenile and ridiculous.

"So, uh, anyway. Who is this Shattering Steel you are so fond of?" Red Ink asked, hoping to learn a few things before the eponymous stallion arrived. While he was bubbling with excitement to inform his friend about his idol, Black Flag took a couple of deep breaths before he began to speak. He remembered his foalish outburst from before, and he did not want to do something that stupid ever again. It was time to act cool, collected, and calm.

Over the next few hours, Black Flag informed his companion about both the warrior's feats and his upbringing. He started off with how Steel was raised by a band of mercenaries led by a griffon named Silver Feather, who took him in not out of pity but to be put to use as a soldier and for labor around his camp. Silver Feather, to be put nicely, was not a good father figure. As if the fact he was using a foal for combat wasn't obvious enough. If the mental and physical strain of his training to become a soldier weren't enough torment for him, there was also the constant fear of perishing on the battlefield.

However, apparently, the constant fear of a painful death from a sword blade getting rammed into his skull really paid off in the long run, because he was molded into an incredibly powerful and skilled mercenary. Foe after foe was struck down by his mighty blade. He didn't care who he was fighting, nor did he remember the reasons for doing so. He just felt compelled to continue swinging his sword until he eventually keeled over and died.

Steel eventually left his father's mercenary band, hoping to forge his own path instead of being dragged down by a commander's whims and orders. Since that day, he traveled Equestria as a wandering warrior. His path was simple; fight, get paid, fight some more. Quick and to the point.  
This talk went on and on for what felt like an eternity to Red Ink. As his friend continued his loooooong exposition dump, the poor Pegasus pony could only feel pity for Shattering Steel because when he showed up, he knew Black Flag was gonna be all over him. He understood why; the unicorn idolized him. But he doubted that the merc was going to be very thrilled about somepony rambling for fifty minutes about how they were their biggest fan ever or something stupid like that. Even with his high patience, Black Flag's inane rambling was truly reminding Red of something a dear friend told him once during one of his speeches: "If you say another word I think I might just kill myself!"

"Black Flag, please be silent," Red Ink said firmly. He just couldn't take any more of it. Black Flag's rants had been going on for three hours without pausing to even take a breath. How was it possible he did not get a Cutie Mark related to filibusters? He would be a master at them! Thankfully, the stallion did become quiet as soon as Red Ink asked him, so at least there was that small blessing.

"Sorry Red," Black Flag said with a sheepish grin. "I guess I did get a little carried away. I'm just really excited about this meeting, that's all." Red Ink just rolled his eyes.

"I think I could figure that out pretty easily by myself," Red Ink muttered as he gazed into the dimly lit road. All of the sudden he caught the sight of a pony making their way towards them. The flicker of the lanterns that guided the pony's way did little to hide her identity; Golden Keg. The poor mare must not have gotten hardly any sleep, and with how uncivilized the patrons could be this day was probably going to be a bucking nightmare.

"What are you two doing here so early?"  
"Just waiting for Shattering Steel to arrive," Black Flag said; not taking his eyes off the road for even a second. He was like a vulture waiting to see what rotted, just with less death and scavenging involved. Which was probably a good thing, because eating decaying flesh was usually looked down upon in most towns. Probably. He never thought to ask, 'cause it would be more than a little weird if he just went up to some official and asked for their views on eating the flesh of the dead.

"Well, good news." Golden Keg said as she pushed open the oak door leading into her tavern. "He should be here within the hour because the sun will be rising soon." The soft ding of the small copper bell above the door rang as she entered the establishment to finish getting things ready for his arrival.  
"Red, you can go and head in if you want. You've stayed out here for long enough, there's no need to stay any longer. I'll just let you know when he shows up," Black Flag said as he stretched a little bit. The constant lack of any motion aside from his mouth was starting to make his muscles cramp up. Red Ink shook his head, dismissing such a preposterous idea.

"Nope, that's not going to happen. I'm in this for the long haul," Red Ink said stubbornly. Black Flag shrugged; he would have figured the Pegasus would do anything to get away from him now that he'd been forced to listen to him go on and on and on about somepony that he probably didn't care about in the slightest.

"Alright, if you insist," Black Flag said with a soft chuckle. He wouldn't deny it; his friend's insistence that he would stay with him through the whole morning did warm the ruffian's heart a little. If he didn't know any better, he would have thought that Red Ink might've had romantic feelings towards him or something like that. But that would be just silly, like something out of a badly-written novel that was made by somepony who was graced with about as much knowledge of how to write as Black Flag did. That is to say, absolutely none at all. "I must thank you for doing so. It does feel a lot better with you by my side."

"You're welcome," Red Ink said quietly as he stretched out his back to relieve some of the tension that had begun to build up from waiting around for so long.

So they continued to wait. Everything was quiet and deathly still. They didn't bother talking, they just patiently observed the shadows that covered the road for any movement towards the bar as if they were a couple of the guards assigned to protecting the rundown establishment from invaders. However, their patience was beginning to grow quite thin. It truly felt like time was slowing to a complete and total crawl, and Shattering Steel was nowhere in sight. However, their patience did pay off.  
The sky was just beginning to turn to a light pink color when Black Flag suddenly noticed a stallion strolling down the road. His fur was the coarse color of the desert sands. His mane was black and long, coming down his neck and swaying fabulously with every move he made. Honestly he looked like he trotted right out of an advertisement for some kind of mane product. A tan cloak whipped around his muscular form in the gentle early morning winds; caressing his figure ever-so-delicately. Strapped to his side was a brown saddlebag that swayed back and forth with every step that he took. And, much to Black Flag's joy, there was an almost comically large sword strapped to his back.

"Oh my gosh, is that him?" Black Flag whispered happily. His heart was pounding with excitement, beating faster and faster with every step that the warrior took closer to the tavern. His friend, however, was not exactly smitten with awe or affection for the stallion. Honestly, he felt that the only way his attire and stride could be more ridiculous was if there was just a trio of singing ponies that accompanied him to sing some kind of epic choir or chant as he walked down the road. What was with that sword, anyhow? For goodness sakes, that looked impractical as heck. Despite how he felt about the mercenary so far, there was something kind of cute about his friend's reaction. He was just like a young foal on Hearth's Warming.

"Yup, I think it is. Why ask me, anyhow? You're supposed to be the way-too-obsessive expert on everything about him," Red Flag replied with a playful smile. His retort was merely a jest, of course. He would never say something so rude to Black Flag and actually mean it. He would never even dream of doing so. He watched as Black Flag slowly stood up, a grimace on his face. He surely must have been feeling the aftereffects of being motionless for so long. To be fair, his own joints and his rump weren't exactly feeling peachy either.  
Those blatant joint pains didn't hinder Black Flag, not one bit. He still managed to break into a quick trot despite them; meeting the warrior halfway down the road. As ecstatic as he was to meet his idol, he knew he needed to compose himself. He didn't want to be an embarrassment to anypony, after all. Especially not to his idol.

"Are you Shattering Steel?" Black Flag inquired, making sure to keep his voice as level and calm as he possibly could. No more outbursts, he kept telling himself. No more shouts of foal-like glee or rambles about how awesome Shattering Steel was. Would probably be a little redundant on top of being really obnoxious, considering that he was right there.

"Who's asking?" Shattering Steel said, his voice cold as ice. That kind of pissed Red Ink off. Was he just too good for giving a simple answer, was that it? Was his identity so important that he couldn't say his name without a dozen combatants leaping out of the bushes to try and kill him? And what was with that cloak? Was there any real purpose to it aside from looking dramatic when it whipped around him in the wind? Bah, he probably thought it could do stuff like block crossbow bolts or something like that. However, he said nothing and kept those thoughts to himself. Well, verbally, anyway. His gaze was a different story. He watched the swordstallion like a hawk, his eyes burning with pure, untamed, hate. Hatred for bewitching his friend with his almost assuredly false tales of combat, for molding Black Flag's dreams into something that nopony could ever hope of reaching.  
"My name is Black Flag," The unicorn said with a smile, then gestured to the Pegasus who was still resting against the wall. "and that's Red Ink. I'm just a huge fan of your accomplishments." The warrior only looked at him with confusion. Hoping to break the uncomfortable silence that settled around the two like a fog, Black Flag reached out with his hoof, offering a simple greeting, but the mercenary merely looked at the unicorn with a death glare.

"Do not touch me," Shattering Steel growled with evident anger in his tone, causing the unicorn to recoil in surprise, after which the swordstallion seemed to immediately regain his self-control. "Sorry about that outburst. I just cannot stand being touched; brings up memories I would rather like to forget." Black Flag nodded in understanding.  
"Sorry, didn't mean to trigger anything like that," He apologized quickly, lowering his hoof back to the ground. He felt so ashamed. he had one job, and he bucked it up within five minutes of meeting his lifelong hero. Congratulations. He added yet another disappointment to his ever-growing list of them.

"It's fine," The Earth Pony replied with a sigh. "Now, what exactly do you mean by "a huge fan" of my accomplishments, Black Flag? I don't quite follow what you are getting at. I'm just doing my job, and that is all my occupation as a mercenary is."

"What I mean is that I completely adore you," Black Flag said happily. "Why act so modest, Shattering Steel? You took down an enemy soldier's spear to your chest and kept fightingin the battle, for crying out loud! There is no denying the fact that you performed an incredible feat, and you should be proud of doing something so awesome! I've been striving to become a warrior as famous and powerful as you are ever since I was young."

"Look," Shattering Steel said firmly as he met the unicorn's gaze, which was brimming with amazement and ambition. "do you have any experience as an actual mercenary? I'm not counting fighting off a few random brigands or bandits. Any half-baked pony with a sword can do that. I mean fighting against real trained soldiers." Black Flag shook his head. "Alright, that's what I was afraid of." His eyes shifted to the large sword that was leaning against the tavern's wall. "How about we have a little duel. If I win, you will be my underling for a year."  
"And what do I get as a reward if I win?" Black Flag inquired with a raised eyebrow. He really didn't care what he got. It could be a clump of pocket lint for all he cared. For a chance to face his idol in combat would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and it would be one he took regardless of the prize.

"How about I give up this?" Shattering Steel slipped off his gear with a single fluid motion, flipped open his saddlebag, and pulled out a large sack of bits. He tossed it a couple of times into the air, flaunting the obvious weight of the currency inside. "If you win, you get all of the contents within this sack. And trust me, there's quite a hefty load of bits in here." Red bit his tongue so hard that he began to taste blood, because he knew that he was about thirty seconds away from saying something involving loads that was going to get either him or Black Flag killed.  
"Prove it," Red Ink said as he finally stood up and approached the other two stallions. He knew that Black Flag would have simply accepted the deal without confirmation that this good for nothing mercenary's sack wasn't just full of junk that he'd collected. Without another word, Steel pulled open the pouch and showed the contents to the skeptical stallion. And much to Red's shock, he was actually being honest. But surely Black Flag wasn't going to risk everything he knew here for some cutthroat's coins, was he?

"It's a deal," Black Flag said excitedly. Red Ink was left completely speechless. All he could do was bury his face in his hoof and let out an annoyed sigh. Why was he going through with this fight? He was going to risk his life for a full year over some bag of bits? Was he completely insane? No, he wasn't. He was just blind to the risks. Romanticised tales of grandeur were blinding his common sense.

"Black Flag," Red Ink said as gently as he could, trying one last-ditch tactic to change his friend's mind. "is there anything I could do to convince you not to fight him? Anything at all?" Black Flag shook his head. His mind was set, he was going to take him on with everything he had. And probably get his ass kicked in under ten seconds. Red Ink sighed, and wrapped his hooves around the stallion's neck in a firm embrace. "Be careful for me, will you?"

"I will, Red Ink. I promise." Reluctantly, Red Ink let go of his friend and stepped back as he watched the unicorn levitate his trusted sword to him with his magic. The Earth Pony, on the other hoof, grasped the hilt of his sword in his mouth and began to take a few paces away from the unicorn. They both took their stances, and all the Pegasus could do was watch.

As the red sun finally began to cast its crimson rays over the flat landscape, the nocturnal creatures began to retreat into the shadows. The wind was low, blowing through the Pegasus's mane ever so softly as he watched the unmoving combatants. He still couldn't believe that his friend was going to risk his freedom for a full year over something so worthless. Why? Did he not care about everything they had done together?

"Alright," Black Flag said calmly, shattering the silence at last. "Let's go!"


	3. Chapter 3: Fly on the Wings of Might

A loud shriek burst from the unicorn's mouth as he charged forward; ready to meet his opponent. His wild, unkempt mane flowed behind him like a blazing flame with every step he took as he began to formulate a plan. It was a fairly simple one; Steel was going to horizontally swipe his sword towards him, and it would be simple to just parry the attack before going in with a close quarters strike. If he got close enough, Steel wouldn't be able to wield his sword. Such a shame it was almost two meters long. Come to think of it, why was it that long? Was it to compensate for something? Why did his brain suddenly focus on that in the middle of a fight, instead of focusing on not getting his ass kicked?

Thankfully Shattering Steel did exactly what Black Flag predicted he would do; a mighty horizontal swipe that was accompanied by a deafening cry of battle. So, Black Flag retaliated just as he had planned; with a defensive parry meant to block his strike and leave Steel wide open to a counterattack. Well, it was meant to do that, but things didn't exactly turn out that way. The swords connected, but that didn't exactly mean that Black Flag's weapon stopped the Earth pony's sword. As thick as his weapon was, it couldn't stop the sheer momentum that Shattering Steel's colossal sword carried and the sword's blade was split in two; causing the upper half to go flying and leaving the unicorn with the shattered remains as he stumbled backward from the force. Well, at least the two stallions knew how Shattering Steel got his name now. He was at least lucky enough to have to not have been within range of that sword, as it continued its path it sliced the air mere centimeters from Black Flag's neck. If it were any closer, it would have ripped open his throat with ease; splitting apart the soft flesh like a hot knife through butter.  
"What's going on out here?" Golden Keg demanded as she shoved open the thick wooden door to her tavern, bursting out with a less-than-cheery look on her face. To be frank, she looked like she was ready to go completely berserk on whoever or whatever was making such a noisy racket. However, her boiling anger quickly turned to total shock as she looked upon the sight before her. The first thing she spotted was Red Ink, who looked like he was just as shocked as she was at the sight. Nopony seemed to even notice that she had come out of the bar.

It seemed that Shattering Steel had arrived sometime while she was getting the bar ready, and had already gotten into a fight. Congratulations. His thick iron sword's blade was now resting on the shoulder of Black Flag, who appeared to be trying his hardest to hold back tears as he cradled what remained of his sword like a child. Golden Keg couldn't help but feel pity for Black Flag. He carried that sword everywhere he went; chatting about how he was going to become a famous warrior someday. She quietly approached Red Ink and sat down beside him.

"What happened out here?" She said in a much calmer tone this time. After a few seconds had gone by, the Pegasus finally seemed to register that she was there and turned his head to face her. Meeting his gaze, she had never seen such a sense of sadness and heartbreak in her life. His eyes just carried such pain, which was made even worse by how cheerful and proud he had been when she first arrived at the bar earlier that morning.

"I just lost my best friend," he explained, his voice uncannily cold and harsh. When she looked at him with a confused expression, he went on to explain the events that had occurred while she was setting the bar up. While that was going on, Shattering Steel confronted his new servant. He lowered his sword from the unicorn's shoulder then released the powerful weapon from his maw's grip and dropped it to the ground.  
"Quit your sniveling. You got exactly what you deserved. You should have known that you stood no chance of defeating a combatant that far outclassed you in every sense of the word, and now you have to pay up your side of the deal. If you're lucky, you might come out of the ordeal in one piece. Now give me that sword," Black Flag didn't even look up. When he refused to answer his demand, Shattering Steel immediately lost his patience entirely. "Give it to me now," he roared, his voice akin to a bestial scream. That seemed to jolt Black Flag out of his daze, as well as get the attention of the other two ponies. Black Flag still must not have reacted fast enough, because, in Shattering Steel's fit of anger, he raised his hoof as if to strike the crestfallen pony. He would have gone through with the act as well if the other two hadn't intervened before he could land the blow.

"Don't you even think about it," Red Ink said, his voice a harsh whisper rank with anger and hatred. When Black Flag turned his head to look at Red Ink, he saw that both the Pegasus and Golden Keg were approaching Shattering Steel. They both looked incredibly mad, but Red Ink was worse, to the point he kind of frightened Black Flag. The snow-white pony looked like he wanted to split Shattering Steel's skull in half with his own sword. He'd never seen Red Ink that mad in his life, and it was truly a sight that he never wanted to witness ever again.. What made this sudden burst of bravery even more incredible to Black Flag was that they were willing to take on a pony that pretty much towered over them and wasn't exactly skin and bones. No, not in the slightest. The warrior had very well-defined muscle, which had proven quite useful in bringing down soldier after soldier in any war he partook in. "You have my word that if I ever find out you abused him during your travels together, and I will crack your skull open like an egg's shell. I swear you will regret your actions, Steel. I will make sure of that."

"I'll second that," Golden Keg said, seeming more than ready to take on the warrior. Black Flag was in utter shock. His friends were going to risk themselves to try and dig him out of a hole that he got himself into. That was when it all came crashing down on him like a tidal wave. He just willingly threw away his only friends in exchange for a year of work as a mercenary, a job that could and probably would kill him. Why were they still sticking up for him?

"Here! Take the damn thing," he begged, shoving the shattered steel sword towards the victor of the duel. He didn't even care about it anymore; he just wanted to avoid another fight, especially if it meant his friends risked getting hurt or killed. Shattering Steel finally lowered his hoof to the ground, thankfully. He then proceeded to grasp the hilt in his mouth and threw what remained of the gray unicorn's weapon into the distant field brimming with tall, unkempt plant life with a quick snap of his head.  
"What did you do that for?" Black Flag asked as he watched the sword's hilt land somewhere in the field. He wasn't even mad or upset, just really confused by the warrior's actions. What was the point; couldn't he have just given it to Red Ink to hold onto, or even a blacksmith to get it fixed? It seemed like he was just being needlessly inconvenient. Surely it wasn't an attempt to rub his victory in Black Flag's face, was it? Honestly, all that was missing was some maniacal grin and a flash of lightning across his face, and he would fit the antagonist archetype completely.  
"I disposed of it because it was broken, and therefore useless to both you and I. Why would you care for a broken sword in the first place?" Steel inquired, genuine curiosity peppering his tone; not an ounce of cynicism or mockery could be heard.  
"I cared for it because it held sentimental value to me, of course. It was my first sword, after all. Paid a good few hundred bits for it to be forged; it was three times as thick as a standard broadsword." Shattering Steel just shrugged indifferently before he replied.  
"So? Being more expensive or being your first sword aren't very good reasons to keep it around after it has been rendered unusable. What if it had broken in an actual fight? Would you still try to salvage the remains of your precious expensive sword at the risk of your own life? If that's the case, then you will die very quickly. And I highly doubt your friend Red Ink over there would be very happy about that. Just accept that a sword is nothing more than a tool, and nothing else. Don't get too attached to any of them, because I can almost guarantee that your first sword won't be the only one you break over the next year. Got it?" For once, the swordstallion actually seemed fairly calm and levelheaded. That was actually a pretty big shock, especially to Red Ink. He figured that Steel only had two emotions; anger and hatred. Funny, because those were also the only two emotions that Red felt towards the Earth pony.

"Yes sir," Black Flag muttered with a dejected sigh; gaze falling to the ground. However, he did not allow himself to break down; not again. He just picked himself up off the ground like nothing happened. "What time will we be leaving? I just want to know."  
"We will be leaving early tomorrow morning," Shattering Steel replied as he slung his gear over his shoulder and onto his back half-heartedly and began to make his way towards Filosofem, with an annoyed Golden Keg close behind him. While he was royally pissing her off, she honestly couldn't afford to throw him out. She needed the bits. "so spend your final day here however you like. It is going to be the last you see of this town for a good long while, after all. Until then, don't even think about bothering me." And like that, he vanished from sight; hidden by the thick wooden door that fronted the wretched bar.

"Alright," Red Ink said with a sigh as he approached his friend. "we're going to find you a brand new sword. I highly doubt that Steel would be so generous as to provide you with a replacement, after all." As much as Black Flag hated to admit it, Red was probably right about that. He was right about a lot of things, actually. Oh, dammit, why hadn't he just listened to him? Not much he could do about it now unless he got lucky and found something like a gem that could bring him untamed power and magic in exchange for his flesh and blood during a solar eclipse. But really, what were the chances of that happening? That would just be silly! Black Flag took a look around him; just in case he happened to see such a magical rock, but no such luck. Dang it.  
"I know," he replied after he finally realized he looked kind of silly just standing in one place like a moron and began to make his way towards their camping site with his best friend following right behind him. "I need to get my bits from the tent, then I'll be ready to go looking for one." Red Ink replied with only a silent nod of agreement and they began the tedious and uncomfortable return to their tent. On the way back, they did not say a single word to one another. The only sound that reached their ears was the soft noise of their hooves against the soil beneath them. They weren't feeling bitter or angry with each other, they just had nothing to say. Only when they reached their destination did Black Flag finally break the silence.

"Look, Red Ink, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't listen to you," Black Flag said with sorrow lathering his voice. For a few moments, Red Ink said nothing. He just approached Black Flag and rested his hoof on the unicorn's shoulder. It may not have seemed like much more than a simple gesture to most ponies, but for some unknown reason, it always seemed to calm Black Flag down. Perhaps it was just how calm Red Ink usually was, even in times of dire need for help, while Black Flag usually couldn't handle such stress very well. Red Ink always seemed to be there when Black Flag needed him the most. He always knew what was best for him. Gah, why did he act so stupid? He should have never gone to that damn bar in the first place.

"I know you are," Red Ink said, his voice still as calm as ever. However, it was much harder to keep up the facade than it looked. While on the outside he may have appeared cool and levelheaded, on the inside he honestly wanted to just break down right then and there. But he knew he couldn't do that, he needed to remain in control of his emotions as best he could. It was for his best friend's sake, he didn't need any more guilt than he already had. "I just want you to know, I'm not angry about how things turned out. We all have a dream that we want to pursue, and I'm glad that you aren't allowing yours to be smoked out like a fire. Now, why don't you get the bits and we'll find a new weapon for you."

"Alright," Black Flag replied with a nod before he disappeared into the tan tent. While the sounds of him shuffling around in there reached his ears, Red Ink began to ponder. Was he really going to watch his closest friend walk off into the horizon with some bloodthirsty Earth pony? Was it better to try and convince Steel to call off the servitude, or allow Black Flag to cut his own path without Red's jurisdiction? Was his free will truly more important than his safety?  
His train of thought was shattered when Black Flag returned from the tent with the stormy gray pouch, which swayed back and forth from his mouth with every step he took. Red Ink came to a quick decision; he would let his friend go with Shattering Steel. However, he would do his best to track them for a week or two and watch how well Steel treated him. If the Earth pony treated Black Flag well, then Red would accept that he was just over-protective and he would let his anger go. However, if Steel abused Black Flag, Red Ink would make him regret his actions. He would kill him...trample him...skewer him.

The two stallions began to make their way downtown, and Black Flag felt that he should've tried breaking the unnerving silence somehow. He pulled the pouch from his mouth's grip; letting it float in the air aimlessly with his magic so he could speak.  
"Hey Red," Black said as he sifted the pouch in midair, causing the bits inside to jingle together in a soft musical noise. "I was thinking about just getting a standard sword this time, without any kind of customization to it. Nothing that's too fancy or anything like that, probably a longsword, though I might buy a second sword in case that one breaks as well. Is there anything you will want to buy with the extra bits? You should have a few hundred of them left over."  
"Let me think for a moment," Red Ink replied as he began to formulate a plot for what he should do just in case things went south. There was no way he would be able to subdue his opponent using melee weapons, he would get slaughtered. He couldn't allow fair play or equal ground, either; it would be best if he found a way to stay in the air. Not only would the use of his wings make him more difficult to reach but it would also give him much more mobility than just remaining on the ground. But what weapon should he use? "Are there any decent ranged weapons?"

"Oh, well, there are several kinds. Unfortunately, most of them are best used by unicorns; magic grip and all that. However, you could probably use a crossbow, even if those are a bit awkward to use from what I have heard. Why do you ask? You don't plan on doing something as stupid as what I've gotten myself into, do you?" Red Ink shook his head and laughed. Black Flag wasn't letting his emotions drag him down, at least. Which was more than could be said for Red Ink, because if he could let this entire experience go unconditionally he wouldn't be crafting this dirty little scheme in the first place.  
"I was just hoping to buy something for self-defense, that's all. I'll pretty much be by my lonesome for a full year in terms of companionship, so I thought it would be a wise idea to have something I could use in case the worst should happen to me. After all, would be a bit of a bummer if you came back from your epic journey and found my body rotting in a ditch somewhere outside of town." To be honest, Black Flag could see that happening. With his longer eyelashes, slender figure, and flowing mane Red Ink was not exactly the most intimidating stallion out there and barbarians might have considered him an easy target. They might even mistake him for a mare, which was a rather easy error to make. Heck, Black Flag made that mistake at one point, when they first met several years ago. It was a mistake he was constantly trying to forget ever happened.

"Alright, fair enough. We'll ask what the armory has in stock when we get there." And with that, they got moving again; out of the thick clusters of trees and onto the sunbathed dirt road that led into Hawk's Rest. Some time had passed since Shattering Steel had claimed victory over Black Flag, and by now the town was bursting and bubbling with life. Songbirds were chirping away joyously, foals were playing in the streets without a care in the world, the weather was just absolutely perfect for a day like this. It was almost like nature itself was taunting Red Ink; reminding him that this was the kind of perfect day he could be enjoying with his friend, if only he had done more to stop the duel from happening. They wouldn't even be having such a conversation. Everything would have gone on the way they were supposed to be. And if Black Flag perished on the battlefield, Red would never forgive himself or Steel.

"Red Ink," Black Flag said as he turned to look at the eponymous Pegasus. "are you okay?" Red Ink just nodded, not saying a word for fear it would just come out as a sob. He needed to remain strong for Black Flag... His thoughts were cut off as he felt his friend's hoof against his cheek, wiping away tears that he was unknowingly shedding.  
"I've never seen you cry before," Black Flag said, his voice no louder than a whisper. This was not something that occurred often, for he was usually quite loud and bombastic. Red Ink didn't meet the unicorn's gaze; just slipped his wing around Flag's body, and Black Flag pulled him into a comforting embrace in return as the snow-white pony rested his head against his friend's chest. Red Ink almost laughed. He should be the one comforting Black Flag as he had done for many years; not the other way around.  
"I'm just scared for your safety," Red Ink explained as he wiped his tears away with a quick swipe of his hoof. "I don't want to lose you. Especially not in some worthless territorial dispute where you'd get forgotten about in a matter of days if not hours. " He took in a deep breath, and slowly exhaled to clear his thoughts. "I'm okay, I'm better now. Thank you." Black Flag gave him a quizzical look but released the Pegasus and didn't try to push the issue any further.  
They quickly picked up their pace after that and made it to the armory, named Hammerfall, in Hawk's Rest in under twenty minutes. On the outside, it appeared to be a rather simplistic structure. There weren't any decorative pieces upon the walls, the paint job was just a generic tan color, and there weren't even any windows. The reason for that was probably because the walls were often completely covered in different weapons and the owner of the armory, Null Moon, needed as much room as possible, which included a large basement beneath the store.

As they entered the armory, the two were shocked to see that there seemed to be a steady flow of customers today. They were mostly soldiers or mercenaries, which meant that something must have been going down pretty soon. Not that Hammerfall was bad in business or something, there was that basement under the store and that thing didn't just appear there because Null Moon ground up a bunch of pixies into dust after all, but the two hadn't seen so many customers in here for a very, very long time. It was a somewhat strange sight, to say the least. The owner of the armory was a short, aging Earth pony mare with pallid red fur, a short blond mane , and heavy bags under her eyes. She worked behind a thick reddish mahogany counter that was marred by seemingly countless nicks and scratches from heavy use over the years, where she sat on a small wooden stool. Black Flag couldn't help but think that sitting on that thing for several hours must have been a real pain in the ass, and he had even offered to get her a new chair at one point, but she just insisted that she would keep the old stool.

Black Flag approached the counter, with Red Ink close behind him, and rested against the smooth wooden surface. For a few moments the shopkeeper didn't seem to take notice of the two new arrivals, she appeared to be looking at something beneath the counter, but Black Flag couldn't exactly tell what it was. Not really something he should've been worrying about in the first place anyhow, so he just brushed it off and cleared his throat to notify Null Moon that they were there.

"Oh! Hello there," she said, looking up with a warm smile spread across her muzzle. "What can I help you two with? Planning on getting some gear so you can partake in the new dispute between Northern Light and Glistening Gem?" When the two stallions looked at her with confusion, she just chuckled lightheartedly. "I guess you two haven't the news. Both of those cretins have declared war on each other, and they're both looking for anypony willing to fight to join their ranks. Actually, not just ponies. Zebras, Gryphons, Changelings, whatever. Which is kind of ironic on Glistening Gem's part, because he's usually absolutely terrified of Zebras and what he calls their, "Good for nothing sorcery, curses, and voodoo". Which, by the way, is really rich coming from a unicorn. But whatever. What I'm guessing really matters to you two is that they will be paying their soldiers quite handsomely."

"I see," Black Flag replied as he absentmindedly tapped his hoof against the wooden floor. It didn't surprise him at all that those two had declared war. They just hated each other's guts, to the point that a citizen couldn't cross the property of Northern Light without the noble rushing out of his manor to tell the civilian to deliver a scroll to Gem that read, "Your mother was a hamster!" Or something equally stupid and foal-like, before he would retreat back into his abode with his tail tucked between his legs just as quickly as he had come out of it. Black Flag assumed that Gem had just grown sick of Light's crap and was going to end it by force. And honestly, Black Flag really couldn't blame him. That spoiled brat had told him to deliver five hundred and seventy-four letters and that wasn't counting all of the other civilians that had to cross his property every single day. What certainly didn't make Northern Light any less obnoxious was that, when he spoke, he sounded like he ate nothing but ash and drank smoke every single day. He could only pity those poor bastards who worked for him.

"Anyway," Red Ink cut in quickly, wanting to get things moving along sometime before Hearth's Warming Eve rolled around. He really didn't want to spend his last day with Black Flag in some shop browsing for weaponry. In fact, he would like to keep any thoughts of battle off his mind for the time being. He never condoned ignoring the inevitable before, but there really was too much heartache for him to bare at the moment. For one last day, he wanted to keep his heavy heart light. "what we came here for in the first place was to buy some weapons. Black Flag is looking for a couple of, what was it, a longsword?" Black Flag just nodded. "Right, knew that was it. I'm looking for a crossbow."

"Alright," the shopkeeper mumbled absentmindedly as she hopped off her stool and shoved the oakwood seat off to the far left wall. As she moved it, Black Flag and Red Ink could see a long cellar door was underneath it, which was connected to a thick iron handle. They had been to Hammerfall on several different occasions, but Black Flag always found it kind of fascinating that she just kept most of her stuff under the store. "Don't go anywhere, I'll be right back." She pulled open the door and made her way into the basement, leaving the place unchecked while she was down there. He never brought this up to her, but she really needed to hire somepony to watch the place while she was down there. He always thought it was kind of stupid to rely on the honor system that nopony would steal stuff when she was out of sight. And if he managed to figure out that something was stupid, chances were incredibly high that whatever he figured out was blatantly bucking obvious.

"So, uh, Red Ink," Black Flag said after the shopkeeper had been gone for three or four minutes. "What are you going to do while I'm gone? Going to continue working on your book?" The Pegasus didn't say a word, and when Black Flag turned his head towards his friend to see if he was okay, he just appeared to be zoning out or something like that. "Hellooo?" Black Flag said as he waved his hoof in front of the stallion's face. Red Ink shook his head a couple of times, causing his luscious white mane to sway around him elegantly.

"What? Is something the matter, Black Flag?" Red Ink said gently, worried that something was about to pile up on the list of things that could go awry.

"Nope, nothing at all. You just seemed to be, you know, not completely here. Is something wrong with you?"

"No, I don't think so," Red Ink replied with a dismissive shrug. "Just thinking about how it is going to be so quiet when you go on your journey with Shattering Steel." That excuse was, obviously, a total lie. No, what he had on his mind was what Null Moon had said about Glistening Gem and his...less than tasteful thoughts on Zebras. Perhaps there was some kind of magic enchantment that he could buy from Concoctions and Wizardry, the magic shop down the road that specialized in all forms of sorcery including Zebra magic. Before Black Flag got the idea in his head to re-ask his question now that he had finally gotten Red Ink's attention, Null Moon came back up the stairs carrying two very lengthy steel swords and a crossbow. Well, to be more accurate, she carried each weapon up the stairs and placed them on the counter one at a time due to her needing to use her mouth to transport them. Even if he remembered to ask, he probably wouldn't have done it. It would have just been way too awkward for him. And quite frankly, he absolutely hated getting into awkward situations like that. To be fair, what kind of nutball actually enjoyed uncomfortable social situations?

"Alright," Null Moon said after she carefully rested the last weapon, the crossbow, down on the counter Something that caught Red Ink's attention was that while she was carrying it up, she seemed to have some kind of satchel or pouch slung around her side that swung back and forth with each step she took. "The longswords are a hundred and fifty bits apiece, while the crossbow is three hundred and fifty bits, plus another hundred for the steel bolts." As she mentioned the eponymous ammunition she pulled the pouch off her torso and onto the counter, which landed with a satisfying thump.

Black Flag proceeded to dump the contents of his pouch onto the counter in a small pile, which he then quickly sorted out into the proper payment. He then carefully counted what little of his horde would remain after the transaction, and judging by the annoyed sigh, Red Ink guessed that there weren't that many bits left over.

"You have got about seventy-five bits left over. Are you certain that you are going to need this?" Black Flag inquired as he looked over the crossbow. It certainly wasn't badly made; definitely worth the price. Didn't stop it from being insanely expensive. Red Ink nodded, knowing that he could take care of his situation just fine. Even if he needed more bits, he could always return to his old ways of getting more of them. It was a dirty and very uncivilized task, but sometimes he needed to stoop to some pretty low places if he were to succeed. Not everything could be so black and white. He had done it before, and would have no problem with doing it once again. It was just good business. Besides, what mattered was keeping that bastard Steel from doing any harm to Black Flag. Not being the kind of pony to argue, especially when he trusted Red Ink with knowing what was best, Black Flag just shrugged and pushed the pile of bits toward Null Moon, who scooped the currency into several different pouches, which one the coins went into depending on their monetary value.

"So, Null Moon," Red Ink said as he examined the crossbow carefully. It certainly wasn't the smallest weapon, that was for damn sure. It appeared to be crafted with a special groove in the base so it could easily be propped on a pony's shoulder while they took aim at their target, and the mechanisms seemed to be activated with a lever on the side. "How much stopping power does this crossbow have?" Considering it was a single-shot weapon, he hoped it would have quite a lot. If it didn't, he was going to be in some deep trouble if things got real ugly. The Earth pony laughed.  
"That thing has enough power to shatter bones quite easily," she explained as she flipped open one of the leather bags filled with bolts and pulled out one with her teeth. Red Ink whistled lowly in amazement as he observed the long steel bolt, his mind immediately picturing Steel writhing on the cold hard ground in sheer agony as one of those beautiful bolts shattered his leg and rendered him unable to walk. All he could think about was that he hoped the mercenary took very good care of Black Flag, or those images would become a very painful reality.

"Looks quite nice Red," Black Flag said as he glanced over towards the Pegasus, who was slinging the ammunition bags over his shoulders. He grasped the two swords and the crossbow with his magic and turned to face Null Moon. "Thanks for doing service with us." Red Ink didn't say anything about the subject, but that was one of the most awkwardly worded ways to tell somepony goodbye he had ever heard. She didn't bring it up either; just waved goodbye, and the two were finally out of the shop. And Red Ink was beyond thankful for that because he was almost certain that time just stopped in its tracks while they were in there.

"So, do we have any other plans for the day?" Red Ink asked as he shuffled the weight of his bolts. They may not have been heavy individually, but when they were all clumped together in satchels like they were now, they definitely weighed him down. He could not carry these on his back if things played out as he feared they would. They would slow him down too much for any complex maneuvers and his speed would be hindered greatly. That meant he could only carry a few bolts at a time, probably in his mouth, and he had to make his shots count.

"Nope, not that I can think of. Is there anything that you have planned?" Red Ink just gave his standard answer; a slight shrug of his shoulders. Honestly, he couldn't remember if he did or not. He just had way too much on his mind as it was right now. This was strange behavior for him, and even he knew it. He was used to being in complete control of his situation and here he was, listless and mentally tearing apart at the seams. It wasn't like sadness or loss was a new concept to Red Ink either. Perhaps it was because this was the first time he could actually prevent Black Flag from leaving, he was just letting that chance go. Dammit, he was so selfish. Ever since they had met, he pretty much dragged Black Flag everywhere to fulfill his dreams. He never considered that Black Flag might have had aspirations of his own that he wanted to fulfill. And Black Flag never even said a word about it, he just allowed Red Ink to do as he wished with him. Red Ink knew that he should be happy that his friend was finally taking hs own path, but he just couldn't let him go. Why did Black Flag even like somepony as controlling as he was? That was actually beginning to bother him quite a bit.

"Black Flag, why do you enjoy my company? That is if you do enjoy my company at all in the first place and you aren't just going around with me in hopes I'll make a good shield from arrow fire." Black Flag turned towards the Pegasus looked at him with pure confusion. Looking into those large, green eyes Red Ink could see a sense of innocence sparkling within them.  
"What? Why wouldn't I like you? I mean, you're a nice pony! For the past seven years, you have always been by my side to pick me up when I needed support, like the incident this morning. The way you and Keg sprung into action was awesome! It honestly kinda touched my heart." Red Ink laughed, but it was a dry and cold sound.

"I was just doing what I thought was right," Red Ink said. Though, when he took a moment to think about it, he began to wonder if he would have done the same if it were anypony else? Or would he have just turned his gaze away and kept on moving as if he didn't see anything at all? The fact he had to pause and think about that scared him far more than any monster in the farthest reaches of Equestria could ever dream of.

"Don't be so modest," Black Flag said jokingly as he playfully tousled the shorter stallion's mane with his hoof, eliciting a light red blush to stain his friend's cheeks. Red Ink smiled; it was good to see that the unicorn was in such a cheery mood and dealing with his impending fate so well. "Look on the bright side. Steel could have actually hit me with that sword of his and it would have sent my organs flying everywhere." Red Ink laughed, but it carried to merit in its sound. He knew Black Flag was just trying to raise his spirits, but the prospect of his best friend getting struck down so brutally was not something he wanted to think about. What really wasn't helping him think of anything else were the weapons they had purchased; levitating silently in Black Flag's magic grasp. The sun's light just seemed to gleam upon the cold steel of the longswords like the fangs of a wild animal, causing a cold chill to shoot down the Pegasus' spine. He quickly turned his gaze way from the lethal weaponry.  
"So, do you want to just head back to the woods and rest for a while?" Red Ink asked after a few moments of uncomfortable silence had gone by. Black Flag nodded, knowing that he would need as much rest as possible for tomorrow morning. He was actually somewhat proud of himself for managing to go without sleep for this long, and he figured he would probably doze off as soon as he hit the ground. "Alright, let's get going."

So they began to make their way back to the camp for the umpteenth time that day. That seemed to be a recurring theme of the day so far, going back and forth over and over, and it was starting to get quite tiresome for Red Ink, to say the very least. He just wanted this nightmare to come to an end sometime soon. However, he had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach that this was going to get much, much worse very soon. Though, he could have just bee coming to that conclusion thanks to his pessimistic personality and anxiety that things could always get worse than they already were to begin with.

After they finally reached their destination, Black Flag let out a sigh of relief. "I don't know about you, but I think I'll just try and sleep for the rest of the day." He quietly flipped open the tent's flap and stepped inside, with both Red Ink and their purchases right behind him. He made sure to lay both of his longswords beside the lengthy cloth he slept on; not wanting to repeat his mistake from last night. The crossbow, on the other hoof, was rested against the left wall of the tent where neither of the occupants would knock it over by accident.

"Alright," Red Ink replied as he closed the tent flap behind them and slipped off the saddlebags full of bolts, before grabbing their straps with his mouth and carrying them over to where the crossbow was resting. "I'm going to try and make it through a few more hours of the day before I collapse. Hopefully my sleep schedule won't be thrown completely out of whack."  
"Gotcha," Black Flag mumbled as he laid out on the cloth, feeling his eyelids grow quite heavy already. He must have been even more tired than he thought he was.  
Red Ink, spotting his manifesto lying on the cloth a meter or so away from where his friend was currently sleeping, picked up the thick book and began flipping through it without much purpose or interest until he came to the last page, which was about a third of the way finished. So close to being done, yet so far at the same time, He scowled at the book, slammed it shut, and threw it off to the far end where it landed with a firm thump. He slumped against the wall, defeated. His gaze shifted to Black Flag, who was quietly snoozing with a big smile on his face. He looked so...peaceful.  
Red Ink let out a long, silent yawn. His eyelids were growing heavy, but he still tried to stay awake for a little while longer. Unfortunately, he only lasted for fifteen minutes or so before sleep overtook him. However, unlike Black Flag, his slumber was not a pleasant one. No, he was plagued with imagery of vivid horrors that would not soon be forgotten.

Red Ink stood upon a vast field, flanked by countless trees that stretched out over the countryside as far as he could see. The stars were out, and the moon was fat; hanging low in the sky. The blades of grass bowed down, but there was no wind to push them. He looked ahead, and he saw Black Flag gazing down upon him from a hilltop. The unicorn cried out for him to save him, but when he tried to run and save him, Red's legs were heavy, and his wings would not spread. All of the sudden, Black Flag's mouth stretched open as if he was screaming in agony, before he erupted in a sea of crimson.

Red Ink's eyes shot open to complete darkness. He felt around blindly, and was thankful to find that everything was back to normal. It was just a dream. Thank goodness. He rolled over on his side, and saw Black Flag was still sleeping quietly, completely undisturbed. He was completely fine, there was nopony that was going to hurt him. Red Ink could only hope that the unicorn was not being plagued by such horrible dreams as he was. He deserved at least one more night of blissful slumber, before it was torn away from him mercilessly.  
Quietly stepping over the sleeping unicorn, Red Ink made his way out of the tent and into the darkness of the night. It was a cool night out; rather nice for a change. What time was it anyway? Based on how dark it was, there was a chance it was the very early morning and he somehow slept a good fourteen hours or so. That was pretty convenient, that meant he didn't have to spend five or six hours waiting for something to happen. What luck.  
He recalled the first time the two of them had set camp here. The world had been painted a pure white with virgin snow glistening on the ground. Everything was so peaceful and serene. And really, everything had remained mostly the same. He guessed it was because of this that he thought things would never change. But here they were; just hours from separation for a full year. Red Ink sighed, before he silently leaned against a nearby tree and began to wait for the morning sun to rise over the horizon.  
Much to his relief, he did not have to wait very long; forty-five minutes at the most. When he saw the first few rays of Celestia's sun peeking through the trees, he begrudgedly made his way back into the tent. He reached out with his hoof to shake Black Flag awake, but suddenly paused. He could just let him sleep for a little while longer... No. No he couldn't. He was just trying to delay the inevitable as long as he could. It was immature of him to even think about pulling a little stunt like that. Besides, the last thing he wanted to do was piss Shattering Steel off by hindering Black Flag and making him show up late. So, against his own wishes, he began to shake the pony with his hoof and stirred him awake.

"Mmm, good morning Red," Black Flag said cheerfully as his eyes fluttered open and he slowly began to stretch his limbs, which released an orchestra of popping joints due to the lack of movement for such a long period of time.

"You ready to get going?" Red Ink inquired as he stood up and made his way over to where his crossbow and bolts were resting. As he slipped the saddlebags on, he watched as his friend slowly rose to a stand. He definitely wasn't the most nimble pony, and was relying mostly on brute strength to solve his problems. Red Ink could only hope that it was enough for him to survive a year of nothing but battle and war.

"Yep, the unicorn replied as his magic grasped his swords and levitated them into the air carefully. He certainly didn't want to split the tent apart into tiny ribbons. That would be a rather careless and stupid thing to do. "Let's go."

At long last, they began to make their way to Filsofem. Red Ink had so much be wanted to tell his friend before he left, but he couldn't do it. His mouth kept opening, but the words just wouldn't come out. Just went he finally garnered the courage to say something, it was too late. They were already at the tavern, where Shattering Steel was waiting.

"Alright, we're leaving." Steel said coldly the moment that the two ponies arrived at the bar. Black Flag barely had time to murmur a goodbye to Red before Steel shouted at him to get moving, and he hurried to catch up with the mercenary who was already halfway down the street. They began to traverse the road leading out of the small town, disappearing into the distance. They got smaller and smaller, leaving Red Ink alone in the early morning daylight. However, he did not stand there motionless and aloof for more than a few seconds. With a single flap of his wings he took to the air, ready to keep a close eye on his friend. It was time for action.


	4. Chapter 4: Word on the Street

As he and the mercenary continued their travels down the dust-coated road, Black Flag was unsure if he should be excited or worried about the journey. The road ahead was going to be interesting, that was for absolute certain, but it was also gonna be quite dangerous. As if that wasn't obvious enough. After all, it would be a dumb assumption to make that everything was just sunshine, murder, and rainbows. But really, if they were just going to settle some squabble between nobles, how bad could it be? Actually, he never did find out what they were going to do.

"Steel," Black Flag began to speak somewhat quietly. The only response he got was a subtle shift of the Earth pony's eyes in his direction, which kinda unnerved him actually. Steel could have just said something, instead of giving him a look that just gave off the impression he was going to split him in two. Would probably be a lot easier. "are we going to be part of that scuffle between Northern Light and Glistening Gem? I'm just curious about that, is all."

"Yep," Steel replied nonchalantly. He didn't even bother to look in his new underling's general direction. He just kept on making his way down the dusty path without breaking his stride even for a moment.  
"Uh, was hoping that you would tell me which side we are taking in the fight." The more that Black Flag began to think about the situation, the more he began to question why those two nobles were even resorting to the use of soldiers for this petty little shenanigan. Couldn't they just settle it with a talk, or by forcing the scrolls down Northern Light's throat until he swore that he would stop telling ponies to send them? Whichever one would have been a fine solution, though Black Flag would have preferred the latter option. Maybe they were just ridiculously evil assholes who got off to the bloodshed of their soldiers. He honestly didn't know.

"Why does it matter to you?" The Earth pony retorted with an annoyed scowl. Black Flag thought it was pretty obvious why he cared; so he didn't wind up fighting for the wrong side of the battle. Though, to be fair, both Northern Light and Glistening Gem where pretty damn dickish, so it wasn't like he was hoping to join either pony's ranks. It was like he said, he was just curious. "We fight for whichever side is paying us more. It's as simple as that. That is the life of a mercenary." That made some sense to Black Flag. It wasn't like they could be too picky about the jobs they took, lest they wind up completely penniless within a week or two.

"Alright, that's fair enough, I guess." Black Flag said before he suddenly went completely silent for a few minutes or so, allowing himself to enjoy the gentle ambience of the world around the two. The soft sound of Shattering Steel's thick cloak brushing along the ground with every step he took. The sweet songs of the birds chirping happily in the trees that flanked the road on either side. A gentle breeze caressing their cheeks soothingly. However, the peaceful silence was suddenly obliterated when Black Flag decided to ask a seemingly harmless and innocent question. And immediately after, he would be wishing he had just kept his damn mouth sealed firmly shut.

"So, Steel. Something I have been wondering for a while now is what happened to your father? The stories and books I have read about you kind of skim over that detail; one day you're fighting by his side and the next you're on your own. Did something happen to him or what?" Almost immediately, Steel stopped dead in his tracks, but he didn't stay still for very long at all. Without any warning, he whirled around and struck the other stallion square in the jaw. With such brute Earth pony strength behind the punch, the unicorn was toppled in that single blow. As pain shot through his mouth, he released his two longswords from his magic's grip, and they skidded across the ground for several seconds.

"Don't you ever mention my father again, or the next blow will be twice as hard. Are we perfectly clear about that?" Steel growled, pure hatred burning brightly in his gaze. Black Flag was in a stupor, unable to so much as groan in pain even as his jawbone felt like somepony had taken a large hammer and slammed it against his jaw as hard as they could. It hurt unlike anything he ever experienced before, but he did not cry. He had screwed up badly enough already, he wasn't going to anger Steel like that ever again. "Are we clear?" Steel shouted, shaking the unicorn from his daze. Black Flag was in too much pain to talk, all he could do was give a small, slow nod.  
From high up in the clouds, a certain white Pegasus was watching the events below unfold, and he was absolutely furious. His blood was boiling to a point that it was a miracle it didn't just evaporate into steam. He eyed his crossbow, which he was cradling closely to his chest, and contemplated swooping down there and planting a bolt in between that worthless mercenary's eyes. No, not even between the eyes. It would go through his leg, leaving him a crippled mess. However, he did not give in to the temptation. His logical side took over and rationalized that he hadn't ever used one of these things before in his life, so there was a good chance he would either miss or fumble with the weapon, leaving him wide open to getting sliced open by Shattering Steel's sword. And if that happened, what would stop Steel from beating Black Flag to death? Or...or worse. He shook his head, and turned his gaze away from the two. He was not going to think about that horrible possibility. He would put an end to this before that ever happened. With that horrid thought in his head, he turned around and took off from the fluffy cloud, and began to fly back towards Hawk's Rest. He had work to do.  
Black Flag slowly stood up, his legs feeling like they were made of some gelatinous mass. That punch did a real number on him, and he thought it would be best to not talk to Steel for the rest of the journey until they came to a stopping point. It would hurt his jaw less anyways. He picked up his weapons from the ground and hurried to catch up to Steel, who had once again started to leave him behind. Red Ink was right, this whole thing was a mistake.  
For not even the briefest moments did Red Ink veer from his course. Even as his body was weighed down by the bolts, he just kept on a straight line towards Concoctions and Wizardry. It was only a fifteen minute trip by flight, but to Red Ink, it felt like it was taking forever. He did reach his destination eventually, however. It was a small hut, decorated with a bright palette of color to an almost painful degree. The owner, Xithicide, may have been a very nice Zebra but he had awful taste in decor. Bleh, whatever.

Ignoring the store owner's terrible style, Red Ink made his way inside. As far as the eye could see, there were potions, spellbooks, and other such magical trinkets. There were even a few pieces of magic armor and artifacts, which he was certain would in no way turn on their users when their magic was unleashed. Nope, no chance of that happening at all.

"Hello Red," came the voice of the owner from the back of the hut. He was a rather slender Zebra, with his limbs covered in medical bandaging. Red Ink never found out why that was. Maybe he was a klutz and spilled random crap all over himself. Red Ink didn't particularly care at the moment. "How may I help you today?"

"Do you happen to have any kind of magic that could make me fly at a faster speed or something like that?" Red inquired as he propped his crossbow against the wall and began to look around the store.

"Yeah, I think I have just the thing for you." The Zebra replied cheerily, trotting over to a suit of armor that glistened in an alluring manner. As he approached the armor, Red Ink could see that it was beautifully crafted. Engravings of feathers lined the armor elegantly, and the metal appeared to be completely untouched. It looked brand new, in fact. It was white as snow, too. It would go wonderfully with his mane and coat. Because hey, just because he planned on crippling a pony with a crossbow and leaving them to rot away in the middle of nowhere didn't mean he couldn't look fashionable while doing it.

"So, uh, how much?" Red Ink asked, fearing that the price was going to be quite hefty. The Zebra examined the armor for a few minutes, weighing out the value.  
"I would say about five hundred bits or so would cover the price of the full suit. This is magic armor, after all. Not just some scraps of copper, either." Red Ink sighed. He needed this armor, but he did not have anything close to the price.

"Please drop the price," Red Ink replied, hoping that he would do it out of the good of his heart. Though, he had a sneaking suspicion that Xithicide wasn't going to budge. He was a real stick in the mud when it came to costs. "I need it to save a friend of mine, and I need it fast." Unfortunately, Red's hunch was completely right. The shopkeeper just shook his head.  
"Would you drop the price if I...you know," Red replied, his voice taking on a somewhat sultry tone. It had been a long time, but he was willing to do anything to succeed in keeping Black Flag safe, and this could be his only shot. It was time to go back to his roots.


	5. Chapter 5: Roundabout

"I...I don't know what you are getting at, Red." Xithicide stammered weakly. But much like everything else in the grand scheme of things, it was a meaningless effort. Red Ink knew that the Zebra was being a dirty little liar, but he would humor his friend for now. It was always fun to coax their need out anyway. It was almost like a fun little game that he would play with his soon-to-be clients.

"Oh, come now. You surely remember our first night together, don't you?" Red Ink asked, his voice dripping with the tone of an experienced harlot. His eyelids half closed, he approached Xithicide and began to caress the Zebra's fur that covered his body, specifically the chest, which was particularly fluffy and soft. From this close of a distance, he could see the beads of sweat rolling down his friend's face, even as he tried to keep cool and collected. This was good to see, it was a sign that he was going to crack like an egg sooner or later. He wouldn't lie, the shopkeeper wasn't that bad to look at, with such soft fur that felt so soothing to the touch that Red Ink felt tinges of sorrow when he needed to pull away. From this close, he could smell the mysterious aromas of countless concoctions, which were blessed with a strangely pleasant strength to them. It was just such a shame he was having to resort to this measure to save Black Flag. But it was worth it if it meant getting him away from that bastard. "How you growled and moaned my name beneath the full moon like the powerful choir of an orchestra. Don't you ever wish to feel my touch, to feel release like that once again?"

"Well, maybe a little bit..." Xithicide muttered under his breath; refusing to make eye contact with the Pegasus. If he wasn't doing this strictly for alternative motives, Red Ink might have found the Zebra's quite pitiful attempts at resilience cute. He could try as much as he liked, but there wasn't a pony alive that didn't have a breaking point. No matter how tough they might have acted, ponies would crumble like paper with enough pressure. It didn't even have to be the ever-enticing temptations of lust that caused them to cave, either.

"So, what do you say? How about I give you a little fun, in exchange for that armor?" A small smirk curled up Red's lips as he observed Xithicide's body language with a keen eye. The Zebra was biting his lower lip nervously, and as such he looked like a young foal that was trying to make a hard decision. How very precious that was. To help the Zebra make his choice, Red Ink began to place the briefest touches of his soft lips against Xithicide's neck. They weren't very firm kisses, just quick brushes that really cemented just what Xithicide would be missing if he passed up this deal. And at long last, Red Ink's seductive charms broke through the alchemist's last shreds of willpower like a hammer through a pane of blood-stained glass.  
"Gah, alright..." Xithicide mumbled in defeat. His voice was carrying about as much strength to it as a piece of sopping wet balsa wood. He was already trembling quite violently, even though Red Ink hadn't done so much as give small appetizers before the main course. The poor Zebra must have been really pent up if he was needing sexual release this desperately. Red Ink was almost expecting his new client to be on his knees begging for his touch. Unfortunately, things didn't escalate to that point. Oh well. That was a little disappointing.

"I'm glad we could come to an agreement," Red Ink said with a small smile curling up his lips. He took a glance downward out of sheer curiosity to how much of an effect he was having on the Zebra, and he was pleased to see that his friend was already half-erect; his jet-black cock swaying back and forth rhythmically between his smooth legs like an enticing lure that was beckoning a wild animal to be drawn closer to it.  
"If we're going to go through with this, I'm going to need to get in a more comfortable position," Xithicide said as he briskly trotted across the store and grabbed a thick wooden chair, before bringing it back to the waiting stallion and sitting down. He slowly spread his hind legs, giving Red Ink a very nice view of his genitals; the base of his cock gently resting on his plump balls.  
"My oh my," Red Ink said, his voice a borderline purr, as he got down between the Zebra's legs. "I see your cock is just as impressive as ever, handsome. It's so long..." He reached up with a hoof and slowly stroked the shaft, eliciting a low, pleased sigh from his client. "and so thick." A smile curled up his lips as his gaze slowly made its way upwards and saw that the Zebra was already giving up any attempts to stay in control of the situation and was just letting the pleasure consume him. His shoulders slumped, and his head was resting against the back of the chair; his stringy silver mane falling against it. This was good; Red Ink did not like it when clients would try and use demeaning phrases, names, or even violence to try and treat him like a common whore. Several of his customers learned this little lesson the hard way. It was just better for the both of them to just let the Pegasus take control of the situation.

After a few more strokes with his hoof, Red Ink decided that it would be best for him to just cut to the chase. This wasn't supposed to be a long stay; he needed to get moving before Black Flag and Shattering Steel's trail went completely cold. Well, at least he still had the advantage of a bird's eye view, he couldn't even imagine how hard tracking the two down would be if he was forced to travel on the ground. He suddenly remembered that there was still a job to complete, and he should really stop it with the inner monologs. It was gonna start to look kinda weird like he was zoning out or something. He slowly wrapped his lips around the head of Xithicide's cock; his wet tongue just barely grazing the slit and tasting the familiar saltiness of the shopkeeper's precum.

As he began to truly engulf Xithicide's cock, Red started to hear soft groans and gasps from up above; soft as the gentle music of a flute being played for a concert hall. They were truly beautiful sounds, and quite cute at that. When he glanced upwards once again out of sheer curiosity, Red Ink could have sworn he felt his heart melt away into a puddle. The Zebra's emerald eyes were glazed over and vacant with lust; a strand of drool visible in the corner of Xithicide's mouth, which was forming a blissful and completely mindless smile. There clearly wasn't anything even close to resembling coherent thought running through his client's head at the moment, and there was something oddly charming about that.  
When he finally managed to fit the entirety of Xithicide's shaft into his mouth, which caused the smooth head to caress the back of his throat, his mind began to wonder a little. What would Black Flag have said if he saw Red pleasing a stallion in such a perverse manner? Whenever he needed to go and please a client while Black Flag was around, Red Ink would usually find some excuse to use so that the unicorn wouldn't find out the truth. He took pride in his work, but he didn't want to even think about what would happen if Black Flag found out about it. He could just picture the poor stallion standing there in the doorway to the shop; mouth agape in shock as his brain tried to process what his friend was doing.

The Pegasus's thoughts were interrupted quite abruptly when he felt the Zebra's hoof gently brush through his luscious mane as a low groan left Xithicide's lips. Red Ink had many clients in the past, ranging from common warriors to high-class nobles. But none of them made such sweet groans as Xithicide did. All of the sudden Red could feel the smooth shaft start to flare, signaling a rapidly approaching climax. Actually, saying that it was approaching 'rapidly' would be a bit of an understatement. A more appropriate phrase would probably be something like immediately, because it couldn't have been more than thirty seconds after he felt the cock swell that the Zebra's thick, gooey load started pumping into his mouth. He recalled how frightened and dirty he felt the first time a stallion came in his mouth, but that was a long time ago. He'd grown accustomed to the feeling by now and had learned to just stay calm and swallow the load.

Releasing the now-flaccid cock from his warm mouth, Red Ink stood up with gritted teeth. As he began to move across the room towards that wonderful armor, he could feel an orchestra of popping joints running through his body. Staying almost completely still in that position for half an hour did not exactly feel very pleasant. Xithicide didn't budge, however. He just began to stroke his cock a few more times to get it rock hard once more.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Red Ink said as he saw the Zebra continue to pleasure himself. He had a pretty good idea what the stallion was going to want, and he would normally comply, but he really needed to get a move on to finding Black Flag and kicking Steel's ass.

"You know precisely what I want," Xithicide said with an oh-so cocky and knowing smirk curling up his soft lips. "And if you want that armor, you're going to come. over here like a good little stallion and ride me like a mighty bull. Are we perfectly clear?" Red Ink just quietly nodded and made his way back over to the Zebra without another word. He really should have seen this coming. "Don't worry, I'll be gentle."

Red Ink didn't really care about whether or not Xithicide was gentle. He just wanted to get this over and done with. He straddled the smooth cock and expertly slid down upon it with ease. And as frustrated as he was with the Zebra, he wouldn't deny that this still felt really fucking good. His own cock stiffened; harder and harder until it was at full mast.

"Heh, I just started and you're already getting hard," Xithicide muttered with a light chuckle. The Pegasus let out a light groan, not even trying to hide his pleasure as the other male began to move his muscular hips back and forth. They were pretty slow movements at first, of course, but as the two truly began to get into the motions Xithicide began to move faster and faster. His large balls began to slap against the Pegasus' taint with each motion. The stallion's lush white mane began to thrash around with each motion, and Red Ink was reduced to a moaning, groaning mess.

"You like that, Red Ink? You like my cock buried inside of your tight ass?" Xithicide purred, no longer the meek or nervous stallion that he was only a couple hours ago. As he wrapped his hooves around the Pegasus's torso, Xithicide could feel the diamond-hard abs that the stallion was blessed with. Eventually, much to the Zebra's dismay, he could feel his climax approaching once again.

"Damn it," Red Ink gasped desperately as his own sexual release was beginning to build up to a powerful orgasmic finale. "Fuck me harder, fuck me as hard as you possibly can!" Xithicide was all too happy to oblige, slamming his cock inside of the stallion as hard as he possibly could; akin to a wild animal dominating its mate. And, thanks to the Zebra's efforts, Red Ink's seed erupted from his cock accompanied by a loud scream of delight as the thick, gooey load sprayed all over the hard wooden floor. And as if the Zebra was waiting for that moment, he filled the sex worker's ass with his seed. Thankfully it was a pretty weak load thanks to the previous climax, which saved the stallion some time when he didn't need to clean himself afterwards as he slid off Xithicide's shaft.

The next few minutes were spent wiping up the mess on the floor. This wasn't anything new to the two stallions. They'd gone through this process several times before now, and as such the Zebra had been prepared with several rolls of towels in the back. The entire process was filled with an uncomfortable silence that was only broken by the sound of the towels wiping against the floor until the job was completed and they approached the armor at last.  
"So, I thought it would be a good idea to ask this. Where did you find this armor, anyway?" Red Ink inquired as he carefully picked up the armor with his hooves and turned it around; examining the steel for any marks or scratches. Surprisingly, there were no such blotches to be found. In fact, it was polished to a mirror sheen. With how graceful it looked, it must have been used for special ceremonies like a royal wedding instead of combat. The Zebra probably purchased it from a retired guard from Canterlot, or possibly a collector. Though, it was kind of strange; he knew of no pony king or noble that sported the crest of some kind of bird's talon with a thin band or sash clenched in its tight grip, as shown on either side of the torso piece. He would have thought it belonged to a griffon, but it was clearly forged for a Pegasus. As he sat the helmet back down on the table, he took a good look at the rest of the armor. Just like the helmet, it was also in pristine condition. "I must say, you must have done a lot of hard work to get this suit of armor so clean."  
"Actually, that's not exactly the case," Xithicide replied as he absentmindedly glanced at the armor, brushing a hoof against its smooth surface. "I know this will probably ward you off from coming within sight of my shop ever again, but I feel like I need to tell you the truth." Red Ink sighed and pulled over the chair Xithicide was using earlier, preparing himself for yet another long exposition dump. The Zebra hadn't even begun his tale and Red was already silently taking guesses what was so evil about this suit of armor. His two main theories were that it either came to life at some specific part of the day and killed ponies or that it was a knockoff of the umpteen million evil rings in fiction that cursed the wearer somehow, probably by never coming off and then rotting their flesh away.

"See, I was looking around for some herbs in the Everfree Forest; about 50 kilometers west of here. I must have started losing my mind from the paranoia of being eaten alive by some awful monster, because I swear I heard a stallion's voice calling me for help. Despite all of my instincts and natural common sense screaming at me to not try and follow the mysterious voice I knew nothing about and was likely going to result in me becoming a snack for a manticore, I felt compelled to find the source of the voice. It just pulled at me, like a magnet! I broke into a gallop, and I must have been heading north for quite a while because I eventually ran out of the forest and wound up at Pale Moon's Lake." That bit of information seemed to get the Pegasus's full attention, if his look of utter shock was anything to go by.  
"Oh..." Red Ink muttered lowly as the realization and horror started to sink in. You didn't need to have a raging hard-on for the history and lore of Equestria to know why it was a really bad idea to go anywhere near that forest, but it was an even worse idea to approach that accursed lake. As the stories went, about thirty years ago a small group of ex-soldiers were on the run from Princess Celestia and her guards who, when they ran into the Everfree Forest to lose their pursuers, were cornered at a large clearing centered by a lake. Before the Princess and her guards could close in and capture them, however, the sky suddenly turned a hellish red and the moon eclipsed the sun before loud screaming was heard from the direction of the clearing. When they finally arrived, they found nothing left of their targets. Not a trace. The reason that Celestia wanted them captured was pretty unclear, all that was known was that the leader of the group, a unicorn named Rising Sun, committed some serious crime. From pony to pony the story would vary; theft, murder of a fellow soldier, even an attempt to assassinate the Princess herself. Nopony could seem to decide what it was he did. On one of his visits to Canterlot a few years ago, Red Ink decided to try and ask the Princess about it but she reacted with surprising hostility and told him to never bring it up in her presence again. "You know you were just asking to get ripped to shreds by something, don't you?"

"Yeah, I know alright. Probably wasn't a good idea to be snooping around in the Everfree Forest looking for herbs in the first place," Xithicide replied with a sheepish grin. "But anyway, I doubt that now is the best time to chastise my poor life decisions. Don't want this to go on forever, do you?" Red Ink shook his head. "Thought so. Anyway, I was actually about to turn right around and head straight back the way I came, but my gaze caught the gleam of something being pushed to the shore by the water's tide. And against my better judgment, I decided to take a look and see what it was. And wouldn't you know, it was this suit or armor. The really strange thing was that, despite presumably being at the bottom of a lake for a couple of decades, it was in perfect condition. No rust, no scratches, no dents. Nothing at all! Not wanting to waste such a beautiful piece of smithing, I decided to take it back here and gave it a little enchantment for some added speed. It just looked perfect for such magic, you know?" Red Ink nodded in agreement; it did look just right for speeding through the sky and ramming through opponents.  
"So, how do I activate the magic, anyway?" Red Ink asked as he slipped on the helmet, taking note of how it was a perfect fit. He assumed that armor was usually made with standard proportions in mind. As he fasted the torso piece on, another question came to mind. Quite frankly, he was kind of surprised that he hadn't thought of it earlier, considering it was pretty detrimental to his safety. "Also, how fast does the magic allow me to go?"

"To answer your first question, you just tap your hoof against the ground twice, and the same goes for when you want to deactivate the magic. Doesn't matter which one it is. As for the second question, well, I haven't ever clocked the speed this kind of magic allows, but from what I have seen from ponies using the magic in sparring matches and whatnot, you would appear to be just a blur of motion to most other ponies. So, yeah. Pretty bucking fast, if you ask me."  
"Thank you," Red Ink said before he slung his saddlebags over his back and grabbed his crossbow, ready to face whatever challenges would obscure his path. He bolted out of the store and out into the midday sunlight. He took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled. It was time to try this out, and hopefully not careen right into a building or a tree when he did so. He tapped his hind right leg's hoof against the ground twice, took another slow breath to prepare himself, then flapped his wings once. And immediately shot into the air, eliciting a loud scream of horror from his mouth as he did so.

He swerved and twisted through the clouds uncontrollably, the constant speed of his motions actually starting to make him feel ill. He originally thought this would have been a rather thrilling and exciting experience, but no. It was actually quite terrifying and disorienting for the Pegasus, who was used to just flying around at a rather calming altitude and speed. As a last-ditch effort, he pulled up, imitating what he usually did to slow himself, and much to his shock he stopped immediately. Oh sweet Celestia, that was awful. He was going to need a lot more practice if he was going to save his friend.


	6. Chapter 6: The Field

As he and Steel passed by the umpteenth cluster of trees they had seen that day, Black Flag sighed in frustration. It was just so quiet. They hadn't seen another pony during their travels in such a long time, and it was starting to make the unicorn feel kind of wary. The soft wind caressed his mane lovingly as he and his master walked their long and lonely road. There were so many things that he wanted to ask the swordstallion; to talk with him about, but he didn't dare say a peep for fear that Steel was going to strike him again. It was actually kind of surprising that the first hit didn't break any of his bones, though it still felt like he had shattered a few of them. And it wasn't like there was anything he could do about the assault, anyway. He shuddered in fear as the thought of what the Earth pony would do to him if he did try and fight back entered his mind.

While they were making their way down the narrow pathway that led to the two neighboring properties of Glistening Gem and Northern Light, Black Flag began to ponder. What happened to Steel's father to make himthat defensive about the subject? Was he murdered? Gah, he wanted to find out the truth so badly but he didn't even consider prying Steel for information. He sighed again. He missed Red. He was just so much nicer, and far more patient than Steel was. Black Flag didn't complain or whine, however. He just kept these thoughts to himself, knowing that nopony liked to deal with a companion that constantly bitched about how things were so much better where they came from like a bratty foal. And really, the last thing he wanted to do was give Shattering Steel another reason to kick his ass into the next time zone.

"Black Flag, come here. I need you to come see where we'll be stopping for the night," Steel commanded, his voice cold and deep as the ocean floor. Black Flag hurried to the Earth pony's side; atop a hill that overlooked a rolling sea of tall grass sprinkled with a few trees that stood proudly amidst the other plant life, which began to thicken the farther they went on before melting into a forest that loomed on the outskirts, alongside some other objects protruding the seemingly endless grass that Black Flag couldn't identify just yet due to the height he was standing at. He'd need to get a closer look. Steel stretched out a hoof towards a much larger hill that was crowned by the sinking sun and topped with the broken remains of stone-works, possibly from used to be a tower or a small castle. Along the base of the hill was a path that twisted around and around until it reached the top. "There. Those ruins in the distance are what remains of the Tower of the Moon. If we keep moving at a brisk pace and don't stop to eat, we can reach it by nightfall."

` "Looks innocent enough," Black Flag replied with blatant sarcasm. In all honesty, the only way it could radiate evil more obviously was if the hill was surrounded by searing flames and an ominous chant was blaring from the top of the hill. Maybe a cackling laughter and spooky skeletons dancing around the hill couldn't hurt either. "Well, I guess we should start hauling some serious ass then." And with that, he broke into a gallop down the hill, leaving Steel atop the hill shouting something that he didn't quite care enough about to fully hear. All he did hear was something to do with the ground, though he had no clue what.  
As he rushed down the hill with the wind in his face and the blades of grass licking at his hooves, Black Flag felt a sense of childlike joy in his rapidly-beating heart. It was a pleasant feeling that reminded him of when he would fool around with Red every now and then. Those were some good times. However, perhaps if he wasn't lost in nostalgic memories he would have seen where he was going and wouldn't have tripped, thus saving himself from falling flat on his face like a complete and total dumbass. Oops.

When he got up from the ground and dusted himself off, Black decided to take a look at the ground behind him to see what he tripped over. He figured it was probably just a rock or a branch, but he was shocked to see a sword's hilt sticking out of the dirt; camouflaged by the tall grass. What the heck was that doing there? When he reached down to take a look and see if he could maybe pull it out, he suddenly heard Steel screaming his name. That didn't sound too good.

"What in the name of Celestia are you doing?" Steel shouted as he made his way down the steep hill. As he approached the unicorn, Black Flag could see that his ocean-blue eyes were now ablaze with seething rage. To Black Flag, it seemed like that was the only emotion he could ever elicit from the mercenary. "Is your head full of nothing but rocks? You do not ever move any of the swords planted in this field, for it is a sacred grave site for all of the soldiers who died here."

"I'm sorry," Black Flag said quickly as he took a few steps backward to stay out of range of the warrior, just in case, when he felt the cold steel of yet another sword push against his back leg. How many of these swords were there planted out here? As he took a good look around him, he saw rows and rows of steel glistening in the late afternoon sunlight. Every few paces and he found yet another one. What kind of blood was shed in this field? He made a mental note that, once they reached the tower, he would ask Steel about that. He seemed to have some knowledge on the subject, after all. And as they passed through this massive graveyard, he was kind of glad that Shattering Steel was by his side. It was a foal-like fear to have, but he was terrified that the bodies of the dead soldiers that seemed to be under every patch of dirt that could be planted under would suddenly spring up from their burial sites and rip him apart limb by limb.

Just as the sun was starting to sink below the horizon and the moon was taking its place in the sky; Nightmare Moon's shadow still cast over its form, the two stallions made it to the top of the hill, and out of curiosity, Black Flag decided to peer over the edge to see what everything looked like from where he stood. From such a tremendous height, the hill that they had descended was completely dwarfed by comparison. Everything looked so small; the blades serving as makeshift tombstones now appearing to glisten like diamonds. It was actually kind of beautiful, despite their morbid purpose. And to think, when they joined the fight, they would either be adding more bodies to such unnerving graves or be buried alongside them.

Turning away from the hill's edge, Black Flag finally got a chance to take a good look at the ruins that would be providing shelter for the night. While the majority of the tower was completely destroyed, with only a collapsed staircase to show that there were one or more upper levels to begin with. Oddly enough, it seemed that the first floor was still totally intact. How very polite of whoever invaded this tower to leave the first floor untouched so that he and Steel would have a place to sleep. Black Flag rested his swords against the closest wall and started to look around. Not like there would be much; it was a small circular room after all.  
With the moon as a makeshift light source, the ruins were well-lit enough to see the banners that hung from the wall; having not moved in several years, as evidenced by the thick cloud of dust that shot up into the air when he moved one just a little bit. That was usually a pretty good indicator that it was old as heck. With the dust out of the way, Black Flag could make out the emblem that sat in the center of the banner; a pale white moon eclipsing the sun. He shrugged; at least it fit the name of the tower. Thinking about that, he suddenly remembered his curiosity about the mass grave that they leered above.

"Steel, why are there so many bodies here?" For a moment or two, the eponymous Earth pony didn't say a word. He just stood at the edge of the hill, his cape whipping around his body as he watched the seemingly countless number of swords that marked the field with a mournful gaze.

"After word started to spread out across Equestria about the incident at Pale Moon's Lake, several groups were formed under the belief that the eclipsing moon was a sign of Nightmare Moon's return. Wanting to assist her in her goal to return to Equestria from her lunar prison, they met in this tower and started to formulate plots on how they should do so. And believe it or not, they came pretty damn close to succeeding. Thankfully, some members suddenly got the idea that maybe it wasn't the best idea to summon a tyrannical alicorn that would more than likely kill them all, and they decided to warn the Princess about it. She then led a charge against the cult and their dark magic forces. If it wasn't for Celestia and her soldiers, there's a pretty good chance that we'd be living in a world completely covered by darkness right now. That's why I was so adamant about you moving the swords; it was a sign of respect to those who died in the battle."  
"Oh," Black Flag said quietly, feeling rather embarrassed. It wasn't enough that he almost disturbed a soldier's grave, but they were a victim in a battle against true tyranny. He was just so stupid! Why didn't he know about something like this, especially when he wanted to be a mercenary? "I'm so sorry, Steel. I didn't know about the weight of the battle that occurred here."

"It's fine. Now, find a nice piece of cobblestone and get some shut eye," Steel said as he slipped his sword off of his back, which landed on the hard floor with a deafening clang, and laid down beside it. With one quick motion, he pulled his cloak over his body for warmth and Black Flag was a little envious that he hadn't even thought about bringing a cloak or something like that for warmth. It would have been particularly useful at higher altitudes like where they were right now, with how chilly it was up here. He sighed in annoyance but figured he would just have to deal with it for now. With his daily bitchy sigh out of the way, he laid down on the cold cobblestone floor and drifted off to sleep.

While he may have been hoping for a nice long sleep till dawn, things didn't exactly turn out that way. It wasn't the cold that disturbed him, nor the uncomfortable cobblestone flooring that served as his bed for the night. Though, he wouldn't call it pristine sleeping conditions either. No, what stirred him awake was the unmistakable sound of hoofsteps. Something was coming up the hill, and they were approaching fast. And unless Golden Keg had been silently stalking them for several hours just to pull that joke again, he doubted whatever was making the trip was a friendly comrade. And then he realized something: There was more than one...thing coming up to say hello.

"Steel, wake up!" He whispered as he scrambled over to the Earth pony and began to frantically shake him awake. Within seconds, the swrdstallion's cold eyes shot open, and he didn't look very pleased to be woken at such a late hour. Black Flag hurriedly whispered an explanation "Look, I'm sorry I woke you up, but I think we got company." Steel's ears perked; he must have caught the noise as well. Not surprising, considering how close they sounded. The two must have come to the exact same realization because they both darted for their weapons and braced themselves for the oncoming attack. That's when it dawned on Black Flag; this was going to be his first taste of combat, and possibly his last!


	7. Chapter 7: Bones and Evil

With every second that passed on Black Flag's mental clock, those mysterious hoofsteps were getting closer and closer. They weren't galloping; whoever was coming know that there was nowhere that he or Steel could escape to. Dammit! Why hadn't he studied more magical spells, like a teleportation spell for instance, instead of cramming his head full of practically useless knowledge about Shattering Steel? Well, maybe it wasn't completely useless. If there was ever a mercenary convention he would be right at home. Maybe it would be called MerCon. He shook his head. Why did his mind always go to these stupid places right before a fight?

It wasn't a moment too soon when he finally got his mind back on track instead of figuring out some name for a convention that didn't exist. Literally seconds later, he saw the rusted gold of an old knight's helm illuminated in the diabolical full moon's light. Dirt clogged any and all open crevices in the armor; flaking away with every slow and lifeless movement of the skeletal husk that resided inside of the suit. Its eye sockets were empty; the rotting remains of dead worms crusting the rims. There was a gaping hole right through the chest, and Black Flag didn't even want to think about how it got that. In its mouth, it held a thick, rusty broadsword that still looked as deadly as the day it was forged. It was terrifying to gaze upon, but the poor unicorn couldn't move a muscle. It was just a truly bewitching sight to see a skeleton drag itself as if it had a mind of its own.

Or, it was a bewitching sight. That all changed when Steel lunged from the darkness with surprising speed for such a bulky stallion, his sword gripped tightly in his mouth, and split both the skeletal warrior and his rusty, decades-old armor in half with one vicious slash as if it were made of cheap paper. If there was anything that would put down a undead skeleton for good, it was probably going to be getting split into two. That tended to put most things down, regardless if they were living or undead. The unicorn was still completely dumbfounded as the upper half of the skeleton tumbled backward off its bottom half, before going over the side of the hill and falling down back to the field from whence it came. The stone wall of the tower seemed to scream in agony and the wall trembled fearfully as the heavy iron blade buried into it at the end of his surprise attack, and that deafening sound was what snapped Black Flag back to reality.  
"Come on, get your thoughts together! Skeletons never travel alone, there are bound to be more of them close by. In fact, if the whole field has come to life, we could be facing a few hundred or even a few thousand of these bastards! You're going to need to be completely alert and on your guard the whole night." Suddenly, Black Flag noticed something peculiar about the situation. It was very clear from the sounds a few moments ago that what remained of this attacker wasn't the only one ascending the hill. So, why had the sounds stopped? They must have been waiting to ambush them. Or maybe they were just scared stiff. The unicorn knew he would have been if he heard the sound of the ruins trembling and shaking like they were about to collapse. What probably didn't help was seeing their comrade get cleaved in two so easily. While he originally wanted to charge into battle facing these boneheads head-on, his more rational side took over and told him to just wait for Shattering Steel to lead the charge. And thankfully, Steel did just that. With a mighty, unholy roar of battle that was sure to strike fear in the hearts of even the most battle-hardened warrior and make the most formidable castle shake, he ripped his blade from the wall and bolted down the staircase to face their foes without mercy, and Black Flag followed close behind, his swords levitating silently off the ground. Though, he wasn't following too close behind. The last thing he wanted to do was get in range of that terrifying weapon.

The poor skeletons didn't stand a ghost of a chance. With how narrow the pathway leading up to the ruins was, they were forced to travel in a single file line. This made them very easy pickings for the swordstallion, who not only had the advantage of a higher elevation, but the length of his blade was so great that he could take down several of them with each swing, swipe, and slash. It was an almost beautiful sight to behold. The undead warriors' feeble bones were easily crushed by the blade, leaving behind only fragments and shards where they once stood. The mercenary was an absolute beast in combat, and Black Flag had a feeling in his gut that he was one of the few ponies that would see Steel enter such a bloodthirsty state of mind and live to tell the tale about it.

By the time they reached the bottom of the path, Steel cut through so many bodies that he could take the bones and rebuild them all into a makeshift house with skeletons to spare. Such a shame that skeletons weren't the brightest of foes. If they had half a brain cell to split between all of them, maybe they would have just waited at the bottom of the path and surrounded the two instead of charging at a very slow pace up a narrow path in single file. If they took advantage of their strength in numbers, maybe they would have been victorious instead of where they were now. Dead. Taking a moment to look back at the path and truly absorb the slaughter that he partook in, Steel leaned against his trusty sword and started to catch his breath.

"Holy shit Steel," Black Flag said with complete awe, his eyes gleaming and sparkling with the flames of excitement and wonder. "That was simply incredible!" He'd never seen such an astoundingly raw display of brutality in his life. Though, they were just skeletons. Not exactly the toughest foes, since there were several recorded cases of Pegasi having lured hundreds of the creatures off cliffs by simply hovering just out of reach of their weapons. Kind of pathetic, actually. They couldn't even use any weapons more complex than a sword; even bows were too confusing for them to wield properly.

"No, not really," Steel replied after a few moments of silence. "It's just what I was raised from foal-hood to do, and it's pretty much all I know how to do. I just feel some kind of compulsion to swing my sword over and over again, only coming to a stop when everything that opposes me is splattered across the battlefield in a gory mess of bloodshed and organs. The knowledge that I can still swing my sword tells me that I haven't lost my life just yet, and if I don't stop I will live to fight another day. And to be perfectly honest, sometimes I even enjoy it. The sound of steel clashing against steel, the rumbling ground beneath me as hundreds of ponies charge against one another in a desperate struggle to survive, it's similar to the feeling you might get when you listen to an orchestra."

"I understand," Black Flag said as he turned back towards the hill. He understood alright, but that didn't mean he wasn't absolutely terrified. He was fully aware that Steel, and mercenaries in general, weren't just knights in shining armor that came around to save the day from bandits or other ruffians. No, they were hired soldiers that could often be just as ruthless as the foes they were facing. But he never thought that some of them might just find a sense of excitement or even calmness from engaging in the brutality of warfare. He shook his head and began to make his way back up the staircase so he could try and get a few more hours of sleep before the sun peeked over the horizon. He hoped that by morning he would have forgotten all about this little incident.

While Steel and Black Flag were having a little adventure partaking in possibly the most pathetic fight of the past three hundred years, countless kilometers from the tower they were resting at Red Ink was just finishing his practices using the armor's magic for the day. He felt incredibly sick, but that kind of came with the territory when he was flying around in the air at blinding speed. Which, quite frankly, he never wanted to do ever again. It was too hard to control his flight, and carrying both bags of bolts on his back along with the crossbow didn't help matters either. He made a mental note that, when he faced Steel, he was only going to carry a few bolts and neither of the actual saddlebags. There were even a couple of times where he almost ran smack into a tree like a drunkard, and he had a pretty good hunch that at the speed he was going colliding headfirst with a tree was going to do a little more damage than just a minor bump on the head and a bruised ego. Gah, would they put that on his tombstone? "Here lies Red Ink, son of Cleaving Pen. Killed by flying straight into a tree too fast. What a dumbass."

He reached for the straps to the helmet so he could take it off for the night, but he suddenly heard a stallion's voice in his head. It was deep, powerful, and yet still very comforting to hear. He didn't even know where it came from.

"You want to leave it on," The voice said firmly, and Red Ink immediately dropped his hoof back to the cold, mossy ground. For a moment, his mind felt totally blank, and he shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. Where did that voice even come from? Never mind, it wasn't an issue. He could leave the armor on for the night, he felt more secure with it on anyway. It wouldn't be a problem, not at all. He found a nice thick tree to sleep under, set his gear down beside it, and rested his head against the large trunk. Fluttering his eyes shut, he began to drift away to slumber. And this night, he experienced a horror that made his previous nightmare look like the cheerful dream of a young foal.

He was still in the woods and was still wearing the armor, but he certainly wasn't the same pony. He was much taller, had a more muscular physique, and a dark brown color to his fur instead of it being as white as snowfall. Another thing that was different was that he was wearing some kind of leather string or strip around his neck, though it reached under the armor so he wasn't exactly sure what it was connected to. Perhaps it was a talisman or brooch of some kind. He wasn't in the same neck of the woods either, he seemed to be a bit farther north in the large meadow that bordered the river. Looking ahead, he saw another pony in the meadow alongside him. He approached the pony, though not of his own will, almost like he was experiencing a vision. When he got closer to the pony, Red Ink immediately recognized who it was; Prince BlueBlood, Celestia's nephew. That was a strange sight indeed. In fact, that wasn't the only truly strange thing about the situation. After all, the fact that he was out of the castle was incredibly strange all on its own. Never in his life had Ink ever seen the Prince so much as roam the halls of Canterlot Castle, much less go outside. The only reason Red Ink even knew what he looked like was because he saw a couple of paintings of the Prince hanging on the walls of the castle.

The young Royal was clad in a light gold suit of armor, which gleamed brightly in the glorious sunlight that poured down from up above. It was so strange that he could feel such a minor detail about a dream world. It all felt so...real, like he was actually there in the woods with the Prince. The grass beneath him tickled his legs, the wind caressing his fur with quick breezes. It was also so very serene, so very relaxing. It was almost like the prototypical perfect day to be exploring the woods like this. His body started to move closer to the Prince once more, who finally seemed to turn and face him. And suddenly, the stallion whom's point of view Red was seeing this whole exchange take place from spoke.

"My Prince," The guard said calmly as he observed the stillness of the woods around the two. Red Ink immediately recognized the voice; he heard it when he was about to take the armor off. That couldn't be good. "have you ever thought about romance or love before?" BlueBlood just looked at him with total confusion. Not that anypony would have blamed him; why would somepony just trot up to him and start asking about something like that?

"No, Rising Sun. I cannot say that I have ever thought about such ideas," BlueBlood replied with a completely deadpan tone. Red knew that name as well, and he was deathly afraid that something horrible was about to happen at any second. The Prince immediately turned away from the guard once again, and it was pretty blatantly clear that he wasn't interested in talking to the soldier. However, apparently, Rising Sun didn't give two shits about silly things like respecting other ponies' wishes or reading body language, because he continued to talk like he didn't even register a word that the Prince said.

"I only ask because with how quiet and serene nature is in meadows like this one, a couple of lovers could get away with anything in a place like this. Nopony would appear unannounced and interrupt their activities, and they wouldn't have to deal with all of the harsh noise from around a town or city. It would be a perfect place for such devious acts." After hearing this, BlueBlood started taking some rather unnerved glances toward Rising Sun.  
"I don't feel very comfortable hearing you talk about this," Blueblood said quietly as Rising Sun trotted up beside him. All of the sudden, Rising Sun began to slowly drag his muzzle across the Prince's fur. They were so close, Red could smell the Royal's scent. "What do you think you are doing, Rising Sun?" This time, his voice was less a tone of confusion and more one of anxiety or possibly fear. His instincts must have started to kick in because he began to take several steps away from the guard.

"You have such an enticing musk, my Prince. How could I ever resist such an alluring aroma?It was like your body was just asking for it," The Guard had a voice layered with faux sweetness like honey over a deadly trap. While the Prince may have been a young foal, he certainly wasn't stupid. He didn't even try to continue the conversation with the guard, he just continued to back away from Rising Sun, his pace starting to increase in speed. However, Blueblood immediately stopped dead in his tracks when a magic bolt whizzed past his head with deadly precision, scraping his flesh before it struck the ground, exploding in a white-hot blast of dirt and underbrush that immediately polluted the air with the foul smell of burning plant life.  
"What do you want from me!?" The Prince screamed, his voice cracking like ice. Tears were streaming down his face, and he looked like he was unsure where to go or what to do. Not like there was much he could do. If what Rising Sun said was true, there was nopony around to help him. "I'll give you money if that's what you're asking for. I promise I'll do it! I'll do anything you want!"

"If you'll do anything I want, then you are going to strip away that pesky suit of armor that's hiding your immaculate body away from my sight. And you're going to take your time, too." His words no longer carried that sweet or affectionate tone, they were cold and bitter. It was just the perfect voice to convey that if the Prince didn't do as Rising Sun asked him to, it was going to end very badly for him.

"Okay, okay. I'll do it," The Prince stammered as he slowly pulled off his helmet, causing his flowing golden mane to fall gracefully down his back. His body was shaking and trembling violently in fear, his gaze silently pleading for the guard to let him go. Of course, the bastard had no such intention of doing so. Not yet, anyway. He was going to have the Prince screaming his name by the time he was done with him. He grinned; the mere sight of the Royal colt's lithe body was starting to get him excited.

"Now," Rising Sun said as he slowly approached the Prince. Why rush such a wonderful experience, after all, when they had all of the time in the world? He pushed the Prince up against a tree and whispered one last command in his ear. "spread your legs." BlueBlood turned his head away from the rough bark of the tree, and Rising Sun could see true fear in the colt's eyes. Tears were streaming down his face, dampening the soft white fur with wet streaks.

"I want my aunt..." he pleaded in-between his sobbing gasps for air. "Please, Rising Sun! Take me back home! I promise I won't tell anypony about this!" How very endearing, Rising Sun hadn't done so much as barely touch the Prince and he was already begging like the spineless little shit that he was. To be fair, Rising Sun would expect nothing less from some whiny, snot-nosed noble that was used to living a life of pampering and splendor.

"If you want to be with your precious aunt so badly, you are going to hurry up and spread your fucking legs, you insufferable brat!" Rising Sun roared, before striking the young Prince across the back of his head with his hoof. The Prince yelped in pain, but the guard's assault certainly got the message across. He immediately did as the unicorn commanded; spreading his hind legs apart so that Rising Sun would have easier access to his body. "There," Rising Sun said with that sickeningly false sweet voice. "was that so hard for you to do? Maybe if you were more compliant before now, I wouldn't have hit you."

"Please tell me this will be over soon," The Prince whimpered softly. The Guard could feel his trembling body beneath his hooves as he pinned him against the tree to keep him from moving. He was so disappointed in the Royal, there was not a hint of fighting spirit in the little shit. No squirming, no punching, not even a scream for help just in case there were other ponies in the woods who could hear his cry and would come to his aid. What a waste of the Royal bloodline. If it were up to him, he would cut the colt's throat right here and now, for he was an unworthy successor to the throne. However, he knew that the Princess was going to find out about this little incident eventually, and she would immediately pinpoint him if her spoiled nephew was missing or found dead. If he let him live, that would give him a few hours to gather his soldiers and make a run for the snowy wastelands up north.

"It'll be over when I'm finished with you," Rising Sun said coldly as he started to mount the Prince; jet-black erection swaying between his legs. Without another moment of hesitation, he shoved his full length inside the Prince with a deep groan. "You like that, don't you? You like the feeling of being stuffed full of cock, don't you?" Rising Sun grabbed the Prince's mane with his magic grip and yanked his head back so that he could look into those tear-lathered sapphire eyes.

"No," Blueblood replied weakly, his voice barely above a frail whimper. "Please stop! It hurts so bad!" It was such a tragedy that his wails and cries for mercy were to fall upon deaf ears. Rising Sun just smirked. If the Prince thought it was painful now, he had no clue what was coming right around the corner. He released the Prince's mane from his magic's grasp, allowing Blueblood's head to fall back against the tree's trunk with a firm smack.

Moments later Rising Sun pulled out of the Prince for the briefest moment, before shoving his shaft back inside of the royal as far as he possibly could, eliciting a cry of agony from the younger pony. Not like the guard would care about something like that, of course. There wasn't much that could cause him heartache when his heart was blacker than obsidian. If anything, such screams of pain actually stimulated him far more than any moan of pleasure ever could.  
"That's a good little colt," Rising Sun said between deep, low grunts. "Scream for me, scream and squeal like you're a stuck pig. Tell me just how much this hurts you, you ungrateful whore. After all of the back-breaking work I have done for your aunt over the past year, it's about time I see some actual reward from it. So when you go scrambling back to her after I'm done with you, remember that it's her fault. It's all her fault."

As if reacting on command like a trained dog, the Prince opened his mouth as if he was going to do as the guard told him; let out a loud scream. However, what came out of his mouth was not a sound of defeat or pain, but perhaps the last thing that Rising Sun expected; an act of defiance.

"No," the Royal said quietly, barely above a whisper. "I won't do that. I won't allow you to take away my last shred of dignity from me. Not like this." Rising Sun was genuinely shocked. After all of this trouble, after all of that whining and sobbing, only now was the Prince starting to fight back? Well, at least the bratty coward had a little bit of fight in him. That made breaking him like a foal's toy all the more entertaining.

"Oh, trust me. I think you will give up that "dignity" quite easily. Allow me to...elaborate." Without another word, the stallion began to repeatedly strike the Prince once more, this time hard enough to fill the young colt's mouth with his own blood, which he immediately began to spit out as best he could. With how violently he was coughing and gasping for air, he looked as if he was trying to keep from vomiting. And much to Rising Sun's disappointment, this was his breaking point. He immediately gave in to the guard's demands, begging and crying for him to stop. And to finally hear the Prince's last remnants of his willpower snap like twigs, to see him give up, at last, that was enough to push the guard over the edge of his climax and pump is poor victim full of his seed.

Red Ink's eyes shot open as he finally jolted awake from that horrible nightmare. No, that wasn't a nightmare. It was far too real to be merely a dream or nightmare. What was that? Taking a look around him, Red could see that it was still the middle of the night. The sounds of nocturnal creatures could be heard every which way that his gaze turned. He quickly yanked off the helmet and began to examine the hard, smooth metal. What kind of sick bastard was Rising Sun? It was at that moment that he began to ponder what he should do with it. He considered having it smelted down into molten steel and dumping what remained into a large pit, but then he began to think about Black Flag, as well as that other dream. That image of him erupting into a geyser of gore was still burned into Red's memories. It was blatantly clear that something supernatural inhabited this armor, but he couldn't afford to lose Black Flag to the toils of war. No, he would not let that happen. And if he did perish befre Red could save him, Steel would wish that he was never born.


	8. Chapter 8: The Distant Brave

The next morning was a rather gloomy and dreary sight for Black Flag. The air around him was cold, bitter, and wet. With every breath that he took, a small cloud of water vapor formed for a few brief moments before immediately disappearing. He tried to stand up, and immediately began to feel sharp pains shoot through his muscles that felt like somepony was just stabbing him over and over again with a large dagger. He clenched his teeth in pain and began to rub his left hoof over his right foreleg in a desperate attempt to try and dull the pain. Damn it, he was really starting to miss the warm comforts of Red's tent.

He began to look around the stonework ruins For Steel, which unfortunately was quite fruitless. Not like there was much ground to cover atop the hill, considering it was maybe a few meters in diameter and only one floor. Not exactly an epic journey across Equestria. However, that did make him a little worried about where Steel had gone off to. He could be pretty much anywhere at this point. Well, not anywhere, but he could still be several kilometers away from the tower and Black Flag would haven't the faintest clue where he should look. He absolutely sucked ass at geography and didn't have the keenest sense of direction.

However, he knew that he couldn't stay up in the tower for the rest of his life, so he grabbed his swords and began to make his way down the staircase, and as he made his descent Black Flag saw something that made his skin crawl. A white sheet of mist was curling over the stairwell as well as the ground below with such a thickness that he was almost certain that he could cut through it with his sword and it would split apart. He couldn't even see the bottom anymore, and it was really starting to freak him out. As he hurried down the stairs, he was almost certain that there was some obnoxious jump scare just waiting for him at the bottom. When he drew near to what he was hoping was the bottom, he began to call out for Steel in hopes that he was somewhere nearby. All around him laid the lifeless remnants of the skeletal warriors that attacked them the night before, providing a painful reminder of the events that transpired during that quiet darkness.

"Steel? Shattering Steel, if you're in this fog please answer me! I swear to Celestia if you grab me or something like that I'm going to kick your ass!" He must have sounded nowhere near as confident as he thought he did because almost immediately Steel appeared from the thick fog having a hysterical laughing fit. His laughter was deep, rumbling like the earth as two tectonic plates were pushing against one another. After about thirty seconds or so, he finally regained his composure with a low sigh.  
"I would certainly love to see you try that, Black Flag. I'm sure it will go about as well as the first time," Steel said with another chuckle. Black Flag was not as amused by this as Steel was. In fact, Shattering Steel's condescending laughter made him kind of mad.

"You know what, Steel? I...I could kick your thick ass! Just because I'm in your servitude doesn't mean I couldn't defeat you! Where were you, anyway? When I woke up this morning, you weren't in the tower. I actually thought you got up and ditched me."

"I was just walking around for a little while to stretch my legs. And as for you defeating me...let's see how well you do in a year's time. Now, I have two very important questions for you that you need to answer as honestly as you possibly can. Do not let pride get in the way and coax you into lying. First of all, do you have any actual experience with a sword, or was that blade I split into two just for show?" Black Flag was silent for a few moments, but he eventually shook his head. Spotting this quiet confession, Steel just buried his face in his hoof and sighed quietly, before smacking the unicorn across the back of his head. "And yet you thought you could take me on in a one-on-one fight. You are just comprised of total failure, aren't you? Whatever, I can fix that. Possibly. Onto the second question. Have you ever shed the blood of another creature?" Another shake of the head and Steel immediately looked like he was just about to explode. "What in the name of Celestia is wrong with you? You have no training or experience in warfare, yet you got the idea in your head to become a mercenary. Do you even have a couple of brain cells in that empty head of yours?"

"What if we sparred for a little while until this fog clears up?" Black Flag said quietly, trying desperately to quell the mercenary's wrath and change the subject to anything that wasn't his own complete lack of foresight. He also knew that he needed as much training as possible, which made him wonder why he didn't tell Steel that he knew next to nothing about swordplay from the get go. Wow, maybe he did deserve that last smack. He was a total imbecile, "And, if you say yes, could you just use one of the swords I brought with me? I don't want you to go easy on me, I'm just afraid you are going to break yet another sword of mine. These weapons aren't cheap, you know."

"Alright, yes. Let's do that," Steel said with another sigh, making absolutely no effort to hide his frustration and disappointment. He slipped off the colossal weapon that he called a sword, though it would be more accurate to call it a bladed club or a huge slab of iron with a handle attached to it, which landed on the ground with a booming clang that seemed to shake the earth itself. Black Flag could only wince at the thought of how many spinal surgeries Steel must've needed from lugging around something that big. Though, he was an Earth pony. Maybe he could handle the weight with his sheer strength. The unicorn handed Steel one of the longswords, which the older stallion grasped in his mouth tightly.

As they began to move a few paces from one another, the thick mist curled around their bodies like a blanket. The air around them was as silent as the graves below their hooves, and there wasn't even the faint sound of birds chirping to pierce this deathly stillness. He planted his hooves firmly into the ground and prepared himself for Shattering Steel's first advance. While he knew there was no way he was going to beat Steel in a fair one-on-one fight, not unless the Earth pony was miraculously struck by a bolt of lightening but that wouldn't exactly be fair, he was hoping that he would at least get in one strike. Or, at least, survive past the first strike.

"Alright," Black Flag said as he met the gaze of the warrior. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest like the death-knell of a war drum. He'd seen Steel in action the night before, and the fact that this was merely a sparring match did absolutely nothing to nullify his terror that he was going to be split in half. To think, their first match would have killed him immediately if his opponent was merely centimeters closer to him. He might have as well just turned around, bent over, and spread his cheeks because he was completely fucked. "Let's..." His words trailed off into silence because he didn't even have time to finish what he was saying before the stallion broke into a gallop. Every time his hooves struck the ground, it sounded like the mighty clap of thunder across the sky.

As his opponent approached him with a frightening amount of speed, Black Flag barely had enough time to raise his sword to defend himself before Shattering Steel swung his blade and their swords collided, resonating with a loud clang that caused so much to Black Flag's ears that he lost his concentration and released his own sword before cupping his ears to try and muffle the ringing cacophony. He couldn't even yell or cry in his pain, his vocal cords couldn't produce even the faintest sound. Evidently, Steel didn't find this result to be very appealing, as he just looked down upon the stallion with a look of both disgust and disappointment. He released his sword from his mouth and began to taunt Black Flag.

"What's the matter? Is the life of a mercenary too tough for you already, you cowardly little brat?" As these words began to sink into Black Flag's consciousness he could feel a violent rage boiling in his blood as if a fire had begun to roar in his heart. He was going to show Steel that he could handle being a warrior. He wasn't going to just keel over and give up, though that was partially because he was required to keep this up for a year. He couldn't give up because he wasn't able to give up.

"No," Black Flag said firmly as he finally stood up and took hold of his sword once more. And much to Steel's surprise, he didn't immediately aim a sword slash right for the Earth stallion's neck, despite him being within range and completely unarmed. Any decent warrior would have seized the opportunity the moment it came to pass. Bah, did that neophyte really believe there was a code of honor when it came to battle, did he? If that was the case, then that would be knocked out of him soon enough. If Steel's training didn't do that, then a true battlefield would.

"You should have struck me as soon as you picked up your sword," Steel said with mild annoyance in his tone before he grasped his own sword between his teeth. Without another word, he immediately resumed the assault, not giving his underling even a moment of rest between each blow. At the very least, Black Flag learned to drown out the sound very quickly so at least he was learning a little bit, and what Black lacked in skill he made up for in tenacity and determination. Every time that Steel knocked the unicorn down with the flat end of the blade, he just got up once more. This cacophony of metal clashing against metal rang through the sea of mist without hindrance until the fog finally parted and their path was clear once more, the white cloud fading away like a leaf in an icy world. Seeing that they could finally make progress once more, Steel gave the longsword back to Black Flag.

"Now get your ass moving," Steel commanded coldly as he picked up his own blade and began to make his way out of the ghostly battlefield. Black Flag was kind of annoyed that they weren't going to even take a moment to gather themselves; he was hurting all over his body. Almost every bone he could think of felt like they had been hit with something flat and metal, almost like that was exactly what had happened. He wouldn't complain, however. He'd grow used to the pain eventually. Or so he hoped. "By the way," Steel said as his gaze scanned the wide landscape that they needed to cross, which was peppered with several other ponies making their way down the several roads that crossed the grassy fields. "we're going to have a more thorough training session when we next stop. All you did this morning was block, and you need to land at least one hit on me before we reach our destination."

As they left the ruins of that accursed and mysterious tower behind them and began the second stretch of their journey, Red Ink was delving deeper into the dark edges of the forest. The life here was far more overgrown and out of control than what Red had grown used to, with vines snaking around the trunks of trees, and the grass was brushing against the belly of the Pegasus with every step he took. Now, he would normally not come within pissing distance of such an unruly and gloomy place, but there was a reason to be here. Much like the plant life, the inhabitants of this neck of the woods were far more unruly and without any control. To be more specific, a band of outlaws and thieves were said to rule this neck of the woods, which was perfect. Red Ink would be able to have a little taste of what combat wearing this armor would be like without a single moral repercussion.

As he continued to make his way through the seemingly unending clusters of trees that just continued to get thicker and more untamed the further he went, the Pegasus began to hear the sounds of branches and twigs snapping in rapid succession. His first thought was that it might have been some of the local wildlife, but he didn't dare lower his guard. He stopped in his tracks and perked his ears to try and locate where the sounds were coming from, and that's when he realized that they were definitely getting closer by the second. Suddenly, out of the corner of his vision, he saw a pony approaching him rapidly. He whirled around and saw that it wasn't one pony but three of them. Two stallions and one mare.

"Now what do we have here?" The stallion approaching from the left said smugly as he examined the Pegasus, and with how close he was getting it was pretty easy to examine him as well. He was a rather lanky Earth pony, as well as the tallest out of all of them by a sizeable margin, with a short black mane and thin black eyes to match. Strapped to his side was a sword's sheath, with the hilt of the blade inside marked with decorative runes. The sword must have been pretty expensive for something like that, perhaps he was a former knight. He was clad in a suit of lightweight steel armor around his body as well as some kind of leather garb that covered most of his legs, but from what Red could see he had a light tan coat of fur that, along with the black mane, reminded Red of somepony but he couldn't really figure out who it was. To be fair, the bandit's two companions also looked somewhat familiar, and it was really bugging the stallion that he couldn't figure out where he'd seen them before. The mare, another Earth pony, might have been related to the first stallion, as she had a similar coat and mane color, even the styles of their manes were pretty similar, though hers was a little longer than his. However, she seemed to be far more youthful than the first pony. There must have been ten years between the two at least. And just like the Earth stallion, she had a sword strapped to her torso. The third bandit, a unicorn, didn't follow the trend of similarities. It was actually kind of distracting, to be perfectly honest. His mane was a golden blonde, and was much longer as well; reaching down past his neck and tied back in a ponytail, and his fur was only a few shades darker than Red Ink's coat. He must have been relying solely on his mobility and agility to evade attacks because he wore nothing more than an olive green cotton shirt and a couple of belts, which were strapped to his sides and held six small sheaths that carried small throwing knives, with a sheathed dagger strapped to his hind leg. "That's a nice suit of armor you have there. Pretty decent crossbow too. Care to tell me what's a charming young mare like yourself doing out here with such pretty pieces of equipment in the woods by yourself? You might run into somepony unruly, or even blatantly evil." As he said this, the Earth pony just had the biggest shit-eating grin that Red had ever seen.

"Well, first of all," Red said with an annoyed sigh as he started to clarify that he was a stallion for the umpteenth time. "I'm not a mare; stallion through and through. I am just really effeminate, that's all. Secondly, how long are you going to keep up that lousy charade where you act all nice before you cut my throat open, or whatever else you have planned for me? This whole setup is kind of cliche and overdone, don't you think? All that's missing is for some bland, uninteresting hero to come swooping down from the trees to save the nameless extra." The three bandits looked at one another with confusion.

"Who said anything about cutting your throat open and killing you?" The blonde stallion inquired with a hint of surprise in his voice. "We are just going to rid you of those possessions, and if you cooperate you will be heading right back to town in no time. Now, I'm sure none of us want things to get messy, so please give us that crossbow and your armor." Red Ink wasn't exactly impressed or motivated to do as the unicorn asked, quite frankly.

"Oh, I see what's going on. You aren't the cliche evil bandits," Red Ink said with a sigh. "You're the cliche good bandits, the ones that just steal from ponies and give your findings to the needy and the poor, right? You know, like the countless other knockoffs of the Mery Mares that appear in the stories of lazy writers all across Equestria, usually targeted at young colts and mares." The bandits...did not take too kindly to the writer's snark.

"And I see that you're the token wise-ass who thinks that they're being clever when they act like a smug douchebag pointing out all of the "cliches" that they see," The leader of the trio said as he gave the writer a death glare. "Light Hilt, Golden Tower, you two stay out of this. I'm going to cut this obnoxious jackass down to size." And with that, he grabbed the hilt of his sword in his mouth and pulled it from its sheath, its deadly steel blade glistening in the few rays of sunlight that managed to pierce the thick trees' shade. Red Ink didn't even show the faintest hint of interest, he just tapped his hoof against the ground twice, pulled one bolt from his saddlebags, and discarded both the bags and the crossbow. He didn't even need to use such a tool; the bandit wasn't even worth it. The two other bandits didn't object to their leader's orders, stepping away from them a few meters to give the two enough room to duke it out.  
While both Light Hilt and Golden Tower expected the little duel to be over in under a minute, they did not expect just how quickly it would be finished, or who the winner would be. Their leader raised his sword, ready to strike the Pegasus down, and unwittingly left his most blatant weak point wide open to an attack. None of them even saw it coming, all they could see was what looked like a white blur and the Earth pony suddenly dropped his sword; mouth agape in total shock and horror.

Te bandit's sword didn't even hit the ground before blood began to pour out of his neck wound, soaking into his brown coat within seconds. Red Ink watched with a cold stare, a smirk tugging at his lips, as the life in the bandit's eyes was slowly drained from him. His opponent took one slow, clumsy step towards the Pegasus, then another one, before finally falling forward and collapsing against Red Ink. Before the last of his strength left the Earth pony's body, Red Ink looked into his eyes, and he saw true fear in that dying gaze. In his last breaths, his foe managed to get out an exclamation of true terror.

"No...no...you died..." With these words, the warrior drew his last breaths and his heart finally stopped. Not showing even the faintest amount of interest, Red Ink just shoved the carcass off of him and let it fall to the ground before turning his attention to the other two bandits. While the stallion was still in total shock, the mare had no such fear or terror in her eyes. No, the only emotion that Red Ink could see upon her face was a look of bloodthirsty and unbridled rage.

"You bastard," the Earth pony screamed as the roaring fires of wrath began to truly blaze in her heart and blood. "Light Hilt," The call of his name shook the unicorn from his own stupor, and he turned his head towards the mare. "back me up! I'm going to avenge Iron Star if it's the last thing I do!" The warrior drew her sword, and without a moment of hesitation she charged into battle, her dear friend Light Hilt hot on her hooves, with the full knowledge that she would probably fall victim to the exact same fate as her comrade did. However, she didn't give two shits about that.

As he watched the two bandits charge right at him, Red Ink calmly picked up his crossbow off the ground and loaded the bloodstained bolt into the weapon. It was finally time to try out this little trinket and give a couple of trees a nice coat of red paint. However, Red's ego had gotten the better of him and he'd forgotten just how cumbersome this thing was until it was too late. His hooves fumbled with the bulkiness of the crossbow, giving the two bandits more than enough time to reach the Pegasus and forcing him to drop the crossbow and retreat further into the woods. And if it wasn't for his added speed boost, Light Hilt and Golden Tower certainly would have caught up to him and seen him fly high above the treetops. Perhaps they would have been prepared for what happened next.

"Where'd he go?" Light Hilt asked, as if doing so would immediately unveil the murder's position for the two like a hint system in a shitty game. A soft breeze was causing his ponytail to gently sway back and forth like a hypnotist's watch. He and Golden Tower heard something rustle behind them and the two hurried to turn around to see what it was, but they found nothing but Iron Star's corpse, which was lying motionless in a pool of his own crimson blood. He glanced towards Golden Tower, who was still as stoic as a boulder. If she was frightened, she certainly didn't show it. It was simply incredible; the way she'd immediately gathered her bearings and led the charge. Light Hilt wished he could be as brave as she was. He turned his attention back to the forest, and saw a white blur coming right for him. He didn't even have time to scream.

"The son of a bitch is toying with us," Golden Tower murmured quietly as her gaze scanned the forest around them for any sign of the intruder. There was another rustling of leaves, much closer this time. In fact, it was from right behind her. She knew exactly what it was, but she hesitated to turn around, not wanting to confirm her own suspicions to be true. Against her own wants, however, she turned around anyway and found her friend stuck in a state of horror and agony as Iron's steel blade stuck out the back of his mouth, crimson blood dripping from the deadly tool, before being unceremoniously withdrawn by the writer. As her friend fell to the forest's floor in a lifeless heap, at long last tears began to fall. She knew that she was completely and utterly alone. "No...Light...I can't be the last one...please..." The last thing she saw before that blade was shoved through her skull was Red's eyes. They were wild, and completely deranged. They were the eyes of a bloodthirsty monster.


	9. Chapter 9: The Sacrifice

As the sun started to sink below the horizon, Black Flag and Steel finally came to a resting point on their journey; a large cliff that overlooked their final destination: The manors of the two nobles Northern Light and Glistening Gem. The two abodes stood across from one another, as if the houses themselves were trying to stare each other down in some vain hope that one would collapse in defeat. Quite frankly, Black Flag was just glad that they weren't making the full trip down there tonight. He didn't think his legs would make it all the way down. But just as he was forming the thought to finally sit down for a moment's breather, he felt the ground rumble beneath him as if there was an earthquake. He turned around, looking for the source of such raw power...and immediately found it. Steel's colossal sword was buried into the ground, its long shadow being cast across the land like a plague.  
"Hand me one of your swords," Steel said firmly, to which Black Flag looked at him like he'd gone completely and utterly insane. They'd just hauled their asses for a good 10 hours, and Steel still wanted them to spar? Did he just run on pure bloodlust and hatred, and would thus never get tired or exhausted? Heck, he should be even more exhausted than Black Flag was, seeing as he was carrying that huge slab of iron that he called a sword on his back!

"You can't be serious. We can't even have a few minutes to rest?" Black Flag muttered between gasps for just glared at him with pure disappointment and disgust in his eyes.

"What, you can't take a little exercise? Come on, where did all that enthusiasm from this morning go?" Black Flag rolled his eyes. Seeing this little gesture, Shattering Steel decided to reprimand his underling. "Alright, you can rest...after you land a good hit on me." The younger stallion's jaw dropped in shock. "Don't look at me like that. You should be considering yourself lucky. When I tried to get out of sword practice as a colt, my father made sure that I would never try to pull such a stunt again in my life."

"What did he do?" Black Flag inquired, his eyes sparkling with an almost foal-like curiosity. If the task Steel had given him was considered tame, he couldn't even imagine what Steel's father did to him. Must have been something absolutely insane, like making Steel beat himself with a whip, or maybe something even worse than that.  
"Well," Steel began with a sigh. "One day, he told me it was time for sword practice. I, for some unknown reason, thought it would be a clever little idea to tell him that no it wasn't, because it was opposite day. He remarked that originally, he planned on buying me a Zebra servant as a gift for doing so well with my training, but since it was opposite day..." His voice trailed off, and his face seemed to be completely drained of any color.

"Oh, sweet Celestia..." Black Flag stammered in horror as he pictured in his mind the abhorrent events that transpired, of a young Steel struggling underneath some horrible assailant in a vain attempt to break free from their grasp. Steel just nodded his head, not wanting to say another word about it. Not like Back Flag was going to pry any further, anyways. He just quietly handed over one of his swords to the mercenary, hoping that the sounds of their steel blades clashing against one another would eventually drown out those horrible thoughts. And while it may have just been his imagination, Black Flag thought he could see the spark of rage begin to ignite in the swordstallion's glare.

"Alright. Let's get started," Black Flag murmured under his breath as he planted his hooves into the ground's loose dirt to brace himself. The older stallion didn't need to be told twice. He immediately lunged at his opponent. Black Flag barely had enough time to raise his sword to defend himself before the mercenary's sword struck his own. He could feel the mighty weight that Steel was pushing down upon his sword, pushing the unicorn's magical grasp to its limits. But oh, Steel wasn't even close to done yet. He began to rain down blow after blow with his sword, each resonating against his underling's weapon with a loud clang. It was a good thing that Steel wasn't using his original weapon because Black Flag was certain that his weapon would have been crushed within seconds and he would be a goner. Black Flag felt like his grip was going to shatter at any second now. He could just feel the wrath and hatred radiating from Steel, which seemed to be seeping into every single sword strike.  
The young stallion knew that he had to act fast. With how rapid the blows were falling, Black Flag knew that his sword wouldn't hold out much longer before either his magic would give out on him or his blade would break into two. And if either one occurred, he would pretty much be at the complete mercy of a very pissed off Shattering Steel, and he wasn't sure if he would survive a beating from the stallion when he was this mad. He began to look around with quick glances, trying to find something that would provide even the smallest of advantages in the battle. Dammit, what would Steel be doing in his situation if he were on the defense instead of on the attack? He began to rack his brain, trying to remember some situation where he overcame the odds with some outside-the-box method. Suddenly, it all came rushing to him. The defeat of Armored Colossus at the battle of Foaldrey! It was perfect! It wouldn't be very fair, but that wasn't exactly his top priority at the moment. He just needed to survive.

As his opponent's blade swung downward once more, Black Flag rolled to the right of Steel and buried the tip of his sword into the ground before quickly swiping upwards to send a large cloud of dust and dirt into Steel's eyes. Thankfully, this tactic actually worked and Steel was temporarily blinded by the clods of dirt in his eyes, leaving him wide open to an attack from his underling. Black Flag didn't waste another moment, he immediately swung the flat end of his blade into Steel's throat, which did wonders in stunning the warrior. The sudden strike to his windpipe forced him to drop his sword and fall to the ground, gasping desperately for air.

"Steel? Are you alright?" Black Flag said quietly, afraid that he might have crushed in the stallion's windpipe by accident. He knew that he should have run away and not looked back for even a split second. But he couldn't do that; he was just too tired to run anymore. Besides, with how quickly they were losing sunlight he would be blind as a bat in under an hour. And quite frankly, it wouldn't be such a good idea to run aimlessly in the middle of the night. When Steel finally began to breathe properly again, his look of boiling rage had shifted into a coy smile. It was actually rather strange to see him with a smile on his face. Usually, he just wore this expression of bitterness and cynicism.

"That was very good Black Flag," he said after he stood up and regained his composure. "I was trying to teach you that in battle, you need to think fast and act even faster because your life could be ended in a matter of seconds just because you made one wrong decision. You need to take that knowledge to heart. Now, let's get some sleep. Hopefully, tonight we can have a completely undisturbed night of rest and we won't have to deal with more of those obnoxious skeletons."

While those two were finally laying down to rest their tired hooves for the night, deep in the eastern neck of the forest Red Ink was quickly following suit. His once pristine white armor was now caked in the freshly shed blood of the bandits. All was quiet, but death was howling. After the incident in the forest, Red decided that it would be a better idea to just ditch the bulky crossbow and just use...what was his name? Was it Iron Star? Whatever, that didn't matter. He decided to use his sword instead, seeing how well it worked for him during that little squabble. The blade itself still reeked of the vile bloodshed that occurred not even an hour ago, and the bodies laid rotting in pools of their own bodily waste.

However, they didn't matter. They were just stepping stones on his path to victory against the stallion who wronged him and took Black Flag away from him. As he started to drift to sleep beside a colossal oak tree, all he could think about was the idea of breaking Steel in both body and in spirit. But as soon as his eyelids closed, he was struck with yet another abhorrent vision. And quite frankly, this was quite possibly the worst one yet.

He'd been given the point of view of that bastard Rising Sun once again, who seemed to be leading a herd of soldiers through the forest at breakneck speed. Their hooves pounded against the ground like the sound of rolling thunder across a wide open plain as they hurried through the thick tree line as fast as they could. With every step he took, Rising Sun could feel his "talisman" bumping against his chest. Apparently, that thing was supposed to save him in his darkest hour, but here he was still running for his life. Dammit. Suddenly, the earth itself seemed to tremble in fear as a deafening roar reached their ears from the sky. No, it wasn't some undefinable roar or scream. It was a voice.

"Rising Sun," The horrifying voice screamed. "When I find you, I swear that you shall experience pain unlike anything you could possibly comprehend! Any ponies found to be accomplices will be executed without trial or hesitation!" When Rising Sun looked back to see if his worst fears became a reality, the sight he saw made his skin turn white as a bedsheet. Wreathed in golden flames was the Princess herself, soaring high in the sky to hunt him down. They needed to move fast. If they could make it across the border to Prance, perhaps they'd be safe. They just needed to make it through this forest. What wasn't making this any easier was that, apparently, Iron Star's Black Dog Knights were hot on their tails.  
"Sir," One knight running beside Rising Sun whispered quietly. He was a younger pony, with short blonde hair and peachy fur. Honestly, he couldn't be any older than a colt. "What did you even do to piss her off so badly? I've never seen her this angry before!"

"I..." Rising Sun paused for a moment to think before he spoke. He didn't want to tell them what he'd done, they would surely turn on him immediately and hand him over to the Princess. Oh, he couldn't even imagine what she would do to him. In hindsight, he probably shouldn't have left that brat alive to run back home to her. Would have given him a few more days to escape from her wrath. By the time they found his carcass, Rising Sun would have been completely in the clear. "I'll tell you later, Crystalline."  
The herd of fifty or so stallions continued to gallop as fast as they could through the woods before, much to their collective horror, they realized that they must have taken a few wrong turns because they were at the edge of the colossal Pale Moon's Lake. This was nowhere close to where they needed to be at, and it wasn't like they could just retrace their steps and go on about their way as if the mishap never happened. They didn't have enough time to do that, and they were basically guaranteeing their capture if they did. Their only option was to go around the lake, which would take a couple hours to do. This was a Catch-22, through and through.

"Rising Sun," The young colt said in a much more authoritative tone, not even bothering with the formalities anymore. "What did you do?" However, the mercenary did not answer. For a few moments, he just stared at the sun, which was hanging low in the sky and casting shadows over everything he could see. For a little while, he just stood there, completely unmoving. But all of the sudden...he began to laugh. It was a deep, low laugh that most of his soldiers couldn't even hear. He laughed and laughed and, as if he were in a daze or trance, began to walk into the shallow shore of the lake before collapsing into the water.

"Hey, Rising Sun!" The colt called after him as he watched the stallion walk into the water. Either the eponymous unicorn didn't hear him call out or he wasn't listening to him because he just sat there in the cold water before he reached under his breastplate and pulled out his talisman, something he'd worn around his neck since foal-hood. It was a small black rock that was shaped like an egg, and molded with strange markings that almost looked like a pony's face that got rearranged a couple times. A strange item to be sure, but he'd always worn it around his neck even while he slept. Just in case he ever needed it. And now here he was, when he needed this fucking thing the most, nothing was happening. But he just continued to laugh as he used his magic to pull out a small dagger from a sheath on his side, and held it in the air lifelessly. It was time to finally end this little chase. He would not be taken alive; he would rid Celestia of one last pleasure! As he brought the dagger to his throat, the world around him seemed to grow silent, even as his soldiers realized what he was doing and rushed over to stop him. But even then, they were too late. With one swift motion, he dragged the razor sharp blade through his neck, tearing the soft flesh wide open with ease. But much to his confusion, his blood did not come spewing outward into the water. No, his blood just oozed from his neck and began to move down his hoof until it coated the black rock.

And it was at this moment, when all of his hope faded away into nothing, that the horrors truly began. The sky turned into an endless ocean of crimson and the clouds dissipated into nothingness. All around the soldiers, the trees were shriveling up and dying within a matter of moments before disappearing all together, vanishing along with the lake. But by far the strangest phenomenon was what happened to the sun.

"What in the name of Tartarus is that?!" One soldier screamed in horror, which immediately got the attention of his comrades, aside from Rising Sun, who was still silently gazing at that damn talisman. The soldier was looking toward the sky, his face drained of blood. When the others looked upward, they saw that the sun was being eclipsed. It was as if the moon gained a mind of its own and decided to block the sun from sight. It was at this moment that dark, strange figures began to appear across the lake and in the deathly remains of what used to be the forest. They couldn't have been Celestia's soldiers, they were just standing in the distance not moving an inch closer to them. They just stared at them, their pale white eyes piercing the darkness like lanterns.

"What's going on?" Rising Sun heard Crystalline scream in terror as the world continued to shift and twist before their eyes. In a matter of seconds, the ground itself began to completely change. It was as if they'd been transported to some strange, alien dimension or realm, because what was once lush green grass was now countless screaming skulls. What was this horrible place? What the fuck was going on? Rising Sun couldn't scream, couldn't say a word. All he could do was stare into the bleak abyss that was this horrible dimension. Unfortunately, some of the other soldiers didn't manage to keep their composure quite as well.

"What the-" One soldier amidst the crowd said as his eyes darted across the landscape. All around them were those black figures, who stood motionless as always, however, their eyes looked upon the group as one would look upon a succulent meal. Rising Sun could feel their gazes upon them, even as he looked as far away from them as he possibly could. "The fuck? Holy fucking shit! Fuck me, fuck him, fuck you, fuck all of us! Fuck! We're all fucked!"  
All of the sudden, the sky was filled with a brilliant green light that immediately drew every last soldier's attention upwards, even Rising Sun's. At first, he thought it might have been some kind of light spell or possibly a star, but then it began to descend. And the whole realm fell deathly silent as they all came to a collective realization just what it was: The Mare in the Moon; Nightmare Moon. This terrifying astral projection was unmistakable, it had to be her. The way her mane appeared to be made of small stars, her armor glistening and smooth, her eyes soul-piercing and catlike. As she landed upon the hard surface of the landscape with the grace of a dancer, not one soldier dared to say a word for fear of what she might do to them.  
"Rising Sun," The Alicorn spoke, her voice booming like a barrage of magic blasts hitting the earth. The leader of the mercenaries didn't say a word to reply, he only fixed his eyes on hers as a sign of respect. "You have used that behelit, or talisman as you were so intent on calling it, to call upon my assistance. What ails you so horribly that you were required to do so?" Rising Sun had a feeling that she knew precisely what he summoned her for, but he didn't even think about pointing that out and told her anyway.

"I..." He paused and glanced toward the other soldiers, who were still just as motionless as statues. "We were on the run from Princess Celestia and her guards, and we got lost on our way out of the country. Seeing no other option, I was hoping that the talisman would do something to help us escape." The Alicorn let out a bemused chuckle, which elicited a death glare from the mercenary. However, this glare immediately dissolved from his face when she began to speak once more, and it was instead replaced with a look of horror.

"Has Rising Sun told any of you why he was on the run from my sister?" Nightmare Moon said, a wide grin spreading across her muzzle like wildfire. All of the soldiers shook their heads. Rising hadn't said a peep about it, he just told them that they needed to get moving as fast as possible or else Princess Celestia was going to kill all of them without mercy or hesitation. The Alicorn just laughed once more.

"Is that so? Well, you ponies are going to love this information then," Nightmare Moon said as Rising Sun silently pleaded for her to keep her mouth shut. He couldn't let that information get out, not now. But she simply ignored the pathetic excuse for a stallion's pleas and told them anyway. She leaned downward, and with a grin that could rival the fabled Cheshire Cat, she whispered four little words and within seconds she managed to destroy any bond between Rising Sun and his mercenary band, "He raped the Prince." Immediately, every single soldier's jaw dropped like a rock as their minds wrapped around that information, along with the horrible imagery that came with it. When the shock finally began to wear off a little, their gazes were solely fixed on Rising Sun. And their eyes were burning with pure, untamed hate. That was, except for Crystalline. Even in the face of such horrible information, he still seemed to be holding onto hope that Rising Sun was a good stallion. "Now that your last few remaining friends have turned on you, I'm going to make you an offer. Either you can sacrifice your comrades in exchange for becoming one of my Shadowbolts," As she made this offer, a strange symbol suddenly appeared before her. "which would certify their demise at the hooves of my followers, ripped apart and devoured. Or you can decline and I will return all of you to the lake unharmed, where you be at the mercy of both my sister and your soldiers. Make your choice. All you have to say is 'I sacrifice', and you will be out of harm's way."

"Rising," Crystalline said in desperation as his leader looked directly at him. "Please don't do it! I promise, I don't believe you actually did that to BlueBlood!" While his cries were sorrowful pleads for mercy, the other soldiers were too blinded by rage to try and convince him to show mercy. In fact, several of them broke in a gallop and charged straight for him, planning on skewering him with their lances like wild boars. However, before any of them could reach the bastard, two words left his mouth.

"I sacrifice." The second he spoke these words, the symbol brimmed with energy before replicas of that same symbol appeared on all of Rising Sun's comrades, and as if somepony flipped a switch the shadowy figures suddenly sprung to life and began to advance upon the soldiers without mercy. As they approached, they were revealed to be almost identical clones of one another; Pegasi clad in skintight garb that clearly mocked the attire and namesake of Celestia's Wonderbolts. They moved fast, lunging straight for any exposed skin they could find and ripping the flesh apart with ease. As the agonized screams of the dying filled the air, Risisng Sun felt no regrets for his actions. Even as he watched Crystalline's flesh get ripped from his body by the Shadowbolts' merciless teeth, as the young colt's eyes were drained of their previous joy and life, he felt nothing. After all, he'd escaped from Celestia's grasp unscathed. Or so he thought, until two of the Shadowbolts approached him; one on either side.

"Hold him down," Nightmare Moon said coldly, and before Rising Sun could react he was pulled to the ground and pinned under the two Shadowbolts, with Nightmare Moon looking down upon him with sadistic glee in her eyes. As he saw such a devious gaze upon her, Rising Sun struggled and strained to break free of the two Pegasi, but it was no use. They were just too strong for him to move. "I forgot to mention, before you are to become a Shadowbolt, you will have to find a host."

"W-what do you mean?" Rising Sun screamed as he watched the astral projection's horn begin to glow. But she didn't answer. She remained completely silent as her spell was cast before moving away from the treacherous soldier to watch the magic take effect. At first, Risisng Sun wasn't even sure what kind of spell was cast upon him. But after a few seconds, he began to scream. His armor felt like it was on fire, and it was this searing hot pain that finally jolted Red Ink awake from that horrible dream. Tears were streaming down his face and his body shook, before the pain suddenly died away into nothingness.  
He needed to find Steel and Black Flag soon, before whatever malicious entity resided in this armor took over. He just needed to keep it together for a little while longer.


	10. Chapter 10: Semper Invicta

As Black Flag stirred awake the next morning, he could see the first rays of sunlight beginning to rise over the horizon line. The air was cool and still; silent as a graveyard. It was such a strong contrast from the lively woodland area where he and Red Ink had been staying at when Shattering Steel came strolling into their lives, where there was always some form of ambient noise in the background. Leaves brushing against the forest floor, the soft call of an owl in the dead of the night, the ear-grating sounds of crickets...Whatever. That was one plus to being out here instead of in the woods, he supposed. Didn't have to put up with all of those constant noises. Steel's mighty sword was still embedded in the ground, looking like a terrifying monolith.  
As he slowly stood up and began to look around, he was thankful to see that there wasn't a colossal wall of fog covering the ground this morning. He would be really mildly bothered if that happened for the second time in a row. He turned around and saw Steel sitting perched on the edge of the cliff, his gaze cast over the sprawling land before them. Black Flag quietly sat down beside him, curious to know what he was looking at or thinking about.

"Is something wrong, Steel?" Black Flag said quietly as he did his best to not look down. If either one of them slipped off the edge, they would surely plummet to their doom. It was a good thing Red wasn't here; he would have shoved Steel off without a second thought. Black Flag shuddered, not wanting to think about such things. The Earth pony shook his head dismissively.

"No, not at all. I just like to spend clear mornings like this just gazing over the land. It's so calm and peaceful out here and it finally gives some time to think." The mercenary said with a sigh as the two watched groups of ponies approaching the two manors like flocks of birds migrating southward for the winter. Think? What could Shattering Steel be thinking about, other than how was he going to rend his foes' flesh with his sword?

"What are you thinking about?" Black Flag inquired, secretly hoping that it wasn't something that would have Steel kicking his ass once again. Quite frankly, Black Flag would have been fine without yet another beating by the warrior. When his time with Steel was over, he would miss several things about him but those assaults certainly would not be one of those things.

"Just reminiscing on one of the very few times in my foal-hood that I don't look back on with disgust," Steel said with a...a smile. Black Flag blinked once, then twice, to doubly make sure he wasn't going crazy and starting to hallucinate. Steel was actually smiling. Holy shit, Black Flag started to wonder if Tartarus was beginning to feel unnaturally cold that morning.  
"I see! What would that be?" Back Flag pried, his mind buzzing with ideas of what this memory could possibly be. From what he'd read, and he'd read several books and heard countless rumors about his life, Steel's whole existence was basically a walking definition of misery and an almost fetishistic level of torture. There was one story he'd heard a few months ago that Steel was forced to kill several wolves in the harsh winter of the northern territories of Equestria, which could reach temperatures far below freezing level. It was kind of fascinating that the mercenary hadn't given up on living yet with how horrible he'd been treated by both the Gryphon who raised him and nature itself.

"Oh, it's nothing much. When I was very young, my mother would often take me on walks through the surrounding woodlands while my father and his soldiers were partaking in whatever new conflict he'd been called to join. I remember it being so quiet and serene in those woods. it's one of the few memories I'm actually glad to hold onto. Of course, that was before she, well, she died." Black Flag wouldn't lie, he was quite unnerved by how calmly Steel talked about his mother's death. From what he'd heard, she didn't die peacefully; choking on her own bile and blood as some horrible illness drained her of what little strength she had. Apparently, Steel's father still wasn't there, even as his wife laid dying on a filthy cot as her son watched in horror, unable to look away as she took her last breaths.  
"Oh," Black Flag said in a low, morbid tone as he tried to desperately look for something, no, anything else to turn his gaze towards that wasn't the mercenary. Something told him that eventually Steel was just going to snap like a twig, and when he did...ponies were going to die. He pictured that the rivers would be soaked with so much blood that they would eternally run red, and he feared the day that Steel was finally pushed past his mental limit. He hoped that when Steel finally did snap, it wasn't anywhere near a major population center. The last thing that he wanted to hear about was how the Earth pony's sanity went out the window and he killed enough schoolfoals to fill the largest orchestra in Equestria twice over with a single slash of his blade.

"Well, that's enough morning chatter for today." Steel said out of the blue as he stood up and stretched his muscles, and quite frankly Black Flag didn't think he could have created greater mood whiplash if he tried. It was just so jarring how quickly the soldier seemed to flip moods. But really, Black Flag was just happy to finally have a distraction from the rather awful thoughts that were plaguing his mind and being forced to haul ass for several more miles tended to take one's mind off their silly imagination. Mostly because he would be too focused on not throwing up. The young unicorn grabbed his weaponry and started to follow Steel down the path, who'd already grabbed his sword and broke into a gallop. How did he have that much stamina, for Celestia's sake? It wasn't like that slab of iron was the lightest thing in the world; it was four hundred pounds! Most ponies would probably be crushed by the thing. Actually, maybe that was the precise purpose of the weapon; use momentum to kill anything within its range. And he couldn't even imagine what being stabbed by that thing must have felt like. His guess was that it wasn't too pleasurable. Unless somepony was into that sort of thing,

They quickly made their way down the slope, which much to Black Flag's relief was the majority of the journey, until they came across what Black Flag would almost call a unicorn, but that was being generous. He looked more like some kind of monster; with his grotesquely muscular physique, sickly green fur, and his colossal size. He must have been a good few meters taller than Steel, which was genuinely impressive, as well as terrifying. That wasn't even getting to the stallion's facial features, with his horn being jagged like a tooth; complimenting his unnerving yellow eyes and fang-like teeth. All Black Flag could think was that he hoped he never pissed that guy off.  
"So, uh, which noble are we working for?" Black Flag murmured as they approached the two houses. He was secretly hoping that they were going with Northern Light, because while he was an annoying shit that was nowhere near as bad as what Glistening Gem was rather notorious for; keeping several colts around him at all times as what he called "servants", but even Black Flag knew precisely what they were for, and he couldn't stomach working for a sick fuck like that. Steel let out a frustrated sigh.

"I told you when we first started this little journey," He said firmly as they walked up the cobblestone steps that led to the manor on the left; the home of Northern Light. Steel didn't finish his statement until he planted three firm knocks on the thick wooden door. "we will be working for whoever pays us more. Sometimes, you just have to go against what your morals determine to be right or wrong, and take a job that you may not be fully on board for."  
The door opened to reveal an older unicorn with light red fur and a sandy tan mane with streaks of gray running through it. His face was sagging with wrinkles so defined you could probably see them from the next town over, and he seemed to have a noticeable limp to his walking gait. Black Flag knew immediately that this must have been one of Northern Light's servants, as the unicorn was nowhere near that old unless his bloodstream happened to be filled with anti-aging cream.

"Good morning sirs," The unicorn said warmly; his expression a small, almost unnoticeable smile. "My name is Burning Crescent. I assume that you two are here for the mercenary work?" Steel didn't say anything other than their names, then just gave a nod as if he were some emotionally dead machine. Which actually might have been the case. "Excellent, I will tell him that you have arrived. Please, come in and have a seat." He moved out of their way to give the two passage into a large lobby room with an assortment of chairs lined across the smooth gray walls, some of which were occupied by other mercenaries. As soon as the two were seated, Burning Crescent disappeared into the hall leading into the rest of the house. A few minutes later, he returned and beckoned for Steel to come follow him this time.

"Should I come with you?" Black Flag inquired as he watched Steel get up from his seat. He kind of hoped he didn't; just got comfortable in his seat and he didn't really feel like moving.

"No, you shouldn't need to. These little meetings usually don't last more than twenty minutes." Steel explained before he followed the butler out of the lobby. He was led through a couple of rooms before he came into what looked like an office. It was sparsely furnished, with only a large oakwood table and two chairs; one on each side were the only things keeping it from being completely empty. Light poured in from the windows, casting the pony who sat across from Steel in almost complete darkness.

"Burning Crescent," The silhouette said in an unmistakably gravelly and rough-on-the-ears voice. It was definitely Northern Light, there was absolutely no doubt about that. Steel wasn't even sure why he was trying to make himself look mysterious or intimidating or whatever. There was nopony alive who wouldn't immediately recognize his voice. "Leave us alone, please. I would like to discuss this little exchange without any interferences or interruptions."

"Very good sir," Burning Crescent said softly before he did as the unicorn asked and left the room. Slowly closing the door shut behind him, he left the two stallions in complete and total silence. After a few moments, Northern Light slowly inhaled a breath then let it out through his nostrils.  
"Please for the love of Celestia, don't go working for that bastard Glistening Gem!" He pleaded desperately, pretty much destroying any tension or atmosphere he might have once had. Steel could almost smell the fear that radiated from the noble's every last word. "The number of soldiers I have in my employ is pretty damn thin. At most, I think I have been able to hire fifty mercenaries. Do you know just how small that is, especially when Gem five times that plus his own personal forces? I would be willing to do anything you desire if you joined my ranks. I would literally suck your dick in this office right now in exchange for your servitude."

"I don't think you will need to go that far," Steel said as he shifted his weight in the hard wooden chair after an uncomfortable cough. He didn't know if Northern Light was joking or not, but he wasn't exactly amused either way. Although, that didn't mean he wasn't going to try and wring out a few extra bits from the noble like water from a wet rag. "Let's just stick to currency. How much are you paying as the base standard?"  
"Umm...three thousand and five hundred bits," Northern Light stammered out as quickly as he could, sounding like he just pulled that number straight out of his rear end. Which was probably the most likely case, honestly.

"Pay me triple that amount and we will have ourselves a deal," Steel said with a smile. It was truly fascinating just how low a pony would sink just to hire him. He knew it was a smart choice to hire him of course; the amount of bodies he'd left after a seemingly countless amount of battles could possibly form a small mountain at this point. And if what Northern was claiming turned out to be true about how few soldiers he employed, he needed all the help he could find.  
"Fine, fine! I'll do it!" Northern Light said after a moment of silence to think over the proposition in his head. Steel was quite glad that they could come to a mutual agreement thanks to the noble's fear of getting his ass kicked by some pedophilic waste of air. Ah, coercion was such a wonderful thing. He stood up from the chair, pain shooting through his back as he did so thanks to how stiff the seat was, and finally began to make his way back to the lobby.

"So, how did the meeting with Northern Light go?" Black Flag inquired as his master sat down beside him once more. "Please don't tell me that our next stop is Glistening Gem's house; I don't think I could stomach anything more than glimpsing at him. Especially if he has one of his, shall we say, servants around when we go see him." The unicorn shuddered as he remembered the first time he ever visited Gem, and how those colts just stared at him with dead, lifeless eyes; their light and hope doused like a fire. He couldn't get that horrible image out of his head ever since and merely the sight of Glistening Gem made him feel physically ill like he wanted to throw up.

"No, that will not be necessary. Northern Light and I came to a mutual understanding," Steel said, which was quickly followed by a deep sigh of relief from his companion. They may have been marching out to war over Northern Light's insistence to send petty insults to his next door neighbor, but at least they weren't under the employ of somepony as horrible as his opponent.  
A few days later Black Flag was running right beside Steel as they and their comrades marched through the belly-high grass of the plains as they made their way to where the skirmish would take place; the notorious Misty Valley. It had been decided by the two nobles that their little battle would take place in such a vile location because it would be far enough from any large cities or towns to avoid any civilian casualties. And Black Flag knew there was no way they would find any civilians out there; not after those foals went missing a few months back. That wasn't even getting into what happened afterward; when the nearby villages sent out search parties. Oh, that was a piece of history best left untouched, but here they were, on the borders of the valley itself about to tread on ground that was fertilized with the blood of both soldiers and foals alike.

Black Flag remembered asking Steel if he'd ever been through the Misty Valley before, and he just shook his head. Black Flag was so shocked by that; he never thought that Steel would be too frightened to g snooping around in some old land. That was until Steel explained that it wasn't nerves, it was just common sense. Misty Valley was quite an old place, overgrown with vegetation and wildlife. There weren't very many roads either, and on top of all that there was the thick fog that covered the valley at all times and thus made it incredibly easy to get lost and never find your way out again. And his refusal to go into the valley started before those foals went missing, along with the mares and stallions who went after them. Why were they going in there at all, now that he thought about it. It wasn't like there weren't other large, sparsely populated pieces of land they could use for their little squabble. Heck, he and Steel passed through one or two of them on the way to Northern Light's abode. And what if the entity that took all those ponies was still there? They could be heading straight into a mass slaughter! Though, to be fair, with Steel on the battlefield there was already going to be some slaughtering done.  
As they entered the valley, Black Flag was quite confused. Everything was actually visible; the forest to the east, the rocky walls, even their opposition, marching down the other side of the valley. The mist...wasn't here, despite the fog having never been absent before now. What was going on? He decided to just go along with it; the lack of any fog made it easier to see his enemies anyway. Less of a risk getting lost too. Maybe this wouldn't be so awful after all; aside from the inevitable bloodshed, death, and severe mental trauma. But other than that, maybe this would be just fine.  
They marched and they marched, in surprisingly organized lines for a bunch of ragtag soldiers, until both sides reached the bottom of the valley. Then...all was silent for a few brief seconds; no more than twenty seconds to be more precise. But even that small chunk of time seemed to drag on for eternity as the two sides stared each other down, and Black Flag could only think about how he and the other soldiers were out here on a battlefield where many of them were going to lose their lives, and the ones who started the damn mess were holed up in their lavish manors doing absolutely jack shit.

That precious silence was shattered like glass when the front lines broke into a charge, their cries of battle echoing through the valley for all to hear, with Steel naturally at the front leading the blitz. And what happened next was something Black Flag would never forget. When Steel was in range of the opposing soldiers, there was no clash of swords or even much of a struggle. With just one swing of his mighty blade, three heads were sent flying into the air; expressions frozen eternally in a state of pure agony as a monsoon of crimson blood rained down upon the unicorn's master as if he'd lacerated the sky itself.

Black Flag found his own body unable to move; like a statue of granite he was stuck in that spot in fear as he watched the unholy clusterfuck that was the battle unfold around him, There was no strategy or tactics involved, the soldiers were just killing whatever got in their way, like a bunch of hungry wolves slaughtering each other. And the noise...oh fuck, the noise was just a mindless cacophony of chaos that even Discord himself would be impressed by.  
Black Flag remained bewitched by the horrors before him until one soldier broke free of the bloodshed and began to approach him. It was a large unicorn clad in armor that was white as a bone and covered his entire body; save for his piercing green eyes and his horn. He held a large halberd in his magic's grip, which was dripping with fresh blood and immediately reminded Black Flag to draw his own swords. Probably should have done that sooner, oops.

"So, your precious noble has decided to send colts out to battle huh?" The soldier said with a deep, hearty laugh as he stood before the unicorn; towering above him like a legendary colossus. Black Flag did not back down from the imposing opponent, however. He was going to stand his ground against him even if he joined the bodies who laid scattered around the battlefield. So, he planted his hooves firmly into the ground and held out his swords, ready to face the unicorn head-on. "You plan on killin' me, eh? The mighty Burning Light? Well, I see that ya got some balls, but yer gonna regret it when I chop them off with my ax!" He let out another hearty laugh, before holding out his own weapon; blade glistening in the sunlight. "Let's go then, come on and try me!"

"I'll send your head straight to the moon!" Black Flag shouted before breaking into a charge straight towards the soldier, both longswords ready. His opponent broke into a gallop as well, and within seconds they were within striking range of one another. Burning Light swung his halberd in a downward slash, and Black Flag just barely managed to react quickly enough to hold up one of his blades to block the strike and stop his foe from caving in his skull with a single blow. However, one thing that the young unicorn didn't account for was just how much strength was actually behind that swing. It was such a powerful force that it managed to break his magic's grip and leave him with only a single blade to work with as he watched the first sword fall to the ground lifelessly.

The stallion needed to think of a plan and he needed one fast. He couldn't just keep stalling until somepony else killed Burning Light; that would just be pathetic. His inner monolog was interrupted by Burning's deep, bloodthirsty war cry and he saw the ax coming down once again with lightning-fast velocity. Having only a split second to react to his foe's attack, he immediately dove to the right in a surprisingly agile dodge roll; the wind behind him brushing against his fur as the soldier's halberd just barely missing his rear end. Seeing how the soldier was wide open for an attack, Black Flag grabbed the sword's hilt with his mouth, closed his eyes, and seized the opportunity to end this little battle with a mighty slash to Burning Light's side. And as he heard the armor collapse and give way to his blow, he knew that he'd struck true.

A throat-ripping scream filled the air as Black Flag gazed down at his blade; blood slowly trickling down the white steel and covering the dark brown hilt before finally finding its way into the unicorn's mouth. As the blood touched his tongue he dropped both of the swords in horror; the adrenaline succumbing to the knowledge of what he'd just done. His sight was held in one place as he watched his opponent rolling on his back in agony; breathing heavy and ragged.  
"Kill me! Just hurry up and fucking kill me! Burning Light roared between gasps for air. The stallion was finally free of the grip that fear's tendrils had previously bound him in, and he retrieved one of his blades so he could do the dirty deed. He raised the weapon, preparing himself for the inevitable but...he stopped. He couldn't do it. He could never end a pony's life in such a barbaric and cruel manner. He dropped the sword and began to back away, before turning around and breaking into a full gallop, Burning Light's screams for him to come back and finish the job growing fainter and fainter as he ran to the only place that he thought could provide some protection: The forest. Surely the thick trees would provide him some camouflage from his foes.  
As his sword plunged through yet another soldier like a hot knife through warm butter; their screams of pain and horror blurring together with one another into a mindless mass of insanity and anarchy, Steel caught a quick glimpse of Black Flag galloping towards the forest. Dammit, he didn't have time for this! He quickly snapped his attention forward once more, and just in time. He barely managed to twist out of the way of a razor-sharp blade that was whirling past him, which still managed to slice open his hind leg. As he felt blood begin to flow from the fresh wound, he frantically looked around for the source of that sword, and his gaze fell upon a colossal unicorn who wore nothing to cover or protect his body, yet still his fur was untouched by any blade's slash. And as the unicorn's sword returned to its master, Steel understood just why this new foe remained unharmed. That sword was fucking massive; its curved black blade easily capable of turning marble into dust. And as his gaze started to ascend up the warrior's body, his eyes fell upon the unicorn's mouth, which dripped with fresh blood; chunks of flesh hanging from his fangs.

"Ah, you must be the infamous Shattering Steel," The creature said with a toothy grin, his voice rumbling as if he were the harbinger of an apocalypse. Steel knew he'd seen this monster before; on the way down the hill. He just never thought he was going to have to fight the damn beast. "I thought I recognized you before when I first saw you, so I joined this little squabble so I would be able to see for certain. And after watching how you decimate these soldiers, I knew I needed to fight you for myself."  
"Would you mind telling me your name before you challenge me to a duel?" Steel said as he began to formulate a strategy against the stallion. He doubted that this would be a very simple or easy fight, so he needed to make sure that every single move counted. He couldn't risk fucking up; not even once.

"I will grant your request," The bizarre unicorn said with a deep laugh; blade swaying dangerously in the air as red drops of blood fell to the ground from the edge of the sword. "My name is Starlight Apostle, and I am going to stain this valley with the stench of your blood, Steel. Now prepare yourself!" Without another word, the stallion's mighty blade began to bolt right toward the Earth pony, which he was barely able to dodge in time. It was a fast bastard of a blade, that was for sure. Possibly magically enchanted as well. Maybe if one of his fellow soldiers would get off their asses and stab that monster, he would be able to go in for an attack. But no, they were just staring transfixed like a bunch of slack-jawed idiots, so he was on his own. Like that was anything new.

As the blade made its return trip like a bladed boomerang that was headed straight for Steel's neck, he quickly raised his sword as a makeshift shield. Thank goodness that slab of iron was as wide and as thick as it was, or else it would have shattered and his head would be rolling down the battlefield like a foal's ball. Unfortunately, while this maneuver did protect him from Starlight's sword, it didn't protect him from the unicorn himself. A problem that Steel didn't take account of until Starlight was barreling right for him.

"Oh fuckfuckfuckfuckfu-ah!" Steel screamed as his opponent rammed his hoof into the Earth stallion, sending waves of pain seeping through his body like the waves of the mighty ocean crashing against the shore. As he slowly grabbed onto his sword and pulled himself up, Steel coughed violently, sending a splash of blood upon the earth below him. Whoever this Starlight Apostle was, he couldn't be anything resembling a pony. As he looked up, he saw that the unicorn was just standing there, a maniacal grin spread across his face. He looked in the stallion's eyes, and he saw an untamed bloodlust just waiting to spring forth.  
"If this is all you have to offer me as a challenge, then I don't even need my sword to beat you Steel. I'll just do it the old-fashioned way; beating the absolute shit out of you!" Once again his hoof went flying, aiming right for the warrior's jaw. If Starlight's blow connected, that would have done some serious damage. However, this time the Earth pony was ready. Thinking quickly, Steel grabbed his sword's hilt in his mouth and used it as a makeshift vaulting pole, hoisting himself in the air and over the weapon before landing on the other side. And as Steel heard the stallion's hoof collide with the iron blade, he expected to hear a loud crack followed by a scream of agony, but much to both his shock and horror...all he heard was a laugh.

"That was an impressive little move you pulled off, Steel," Starlight said as he watched the eponymous stallion pull his blade free from the ground; his own sword floating back to him. He knew that he could have easily driven the sword through Steel's back, but that would go against his code of ethics. Now, crushing a pony's head under his hoof or tearing their necks wide open with his teeth? That was a-okay in his book. "However, there has not been a single battle in the three hundred years of warfare I have been a part of where I haven't been victorious. You will be like all the others, another corpse to join the already plentiful piles that gather around us."

Three hundred years? Where did this bastard come from? Whoever this Starlight was, he certainly wasn't any normal pony, or if he was he must have used some kind of spell to lengthen his lifespan. But the cause wasn't what mattered. All that mattered was the effect; the literally hundreds of years of experience that this pony had was going to be a problem. Steel needed to think fast and act faster. He had one chance, one shot, one opportunity to pull this off. He lifted his sword and prepared to charge.

"You are going to risk your life on a single strike? You have quite a lot of courage to throw your life away so eagerly. I applaud such tenacity, but it's like I said..." Starlight Apostle paused and lifted his blade, ready to meet the stallion's sword head-on. "you are going to die. But, I accept your challenge. Come on and try me!" Steel broke into a gallop, the distance between them closing with every step. Steel swung his sword, and his foe moved to parry the attack with his own blade but much to his surprise, Steel's sword cut right through his own and sent the front half flying before burying itself into his foreleg. But even as it split through his tough hide and coated the large blade in fresh blood, he still showed no signs of pain or agony.

"Very good, Steel. You are a far greater opponent than I first took you for. You are the first pony to not only withstand my attack but also shed my blood. For that, I do congratulate you. However, it still wasn't enough to do any serious damage," As he said this he lifted the four-hundred-pound slab of iron out of his leg with his magic as if it were made of nothing more than plastic, much to the warrior's bewilderment, and dropped it to the ground with a loud clang. It was as he looked into those bestial eyes, in that split moment, that Steel knew he'd fucked up.

"Oh...oh...well fuck," Steel murmured, his voice barely above a whisper as his opponent just stared at him with that toothy grin spread across his face. However, Steel refused to back down. If this monster was capable of bleeding, that meant Starlight Apostle could be killed. It would just take some time and a tremendous amount of luck, skill, and power. The good news was that Steel destroyed that sword, meaning he had one less obstacle to worry about and he could focus solely on Starlight. It was time to give it his all and put an end to this.  
As his master and the abomination against nature began their fight, Black Flag just kept running deeper and deeper into the forest. He couldn't see or hear the sounds of war any longer, so he decided to take a little rest; leaning against a tree to catch his breath and regain his bearings. He didn't want to flee from battle to save his own life and then wind up getting lost and starving to death, after all. That would be just a little bit too karmic. But even though he was far from the battle, he still felt like he was being watched by somepony. Surely nopony would have seen and followed him in here; the battle was far too chaotic for him to be noticed. Besides, he was moving at a pretty quick pace and surely would have heard the hoofsteps if he was being pursued. So why did he feel like a pair of eyes were watching his every movement? All of a sudden, he heard a bush to his right begin to rustle...and a familiar white stallion stepped out from the foliage; each step an elegant stride forward that held a sense of grace about them. As he watched the stallion approach, Black Flag felt his throat go dry as a sense of bewilderment overcame him.

"R...Red Ink? Is that you?" Black Flag whispered as the Pegasus continued to walk towards him; lips curled up into a coy smile and his eyelids half shut, like a call-stallion beckoning for a client to come and join him for a bit of fun. Only when the white stallion stood a few inches from Black Flag; his leg brushing against the unicorn's side, did Red Ink finally speak.

"Hello there Black Flag," The snow-furred stallion said warmly as he gazed into the unicorn's eyes, his voice sultry and coaxing. Black Flag wasn't going to openly admit it, but just seeing his friend again made his stomach fill with butterflies. However, he was a little confused. He'd never heard the stallion talk like that, it just sounded a bit...off, to be perfectly honest about it. He wasn't sure what it was, but this was like some kind of strange dream to him. But at this point, he didn't even care. He just wanted to head back to their small little tent in the middle of the woods away from this damn valley. Away from the bloodshed, away from the screams and torment of the dying as they laid in pools of their own blood and entrails.

"Oh Red, I'm so happy to see you!" Black Flag cried out as he wrapped his hooves around the stallion in a tight embrace. And much to his shock, the Pegasus returned the gesture; wrapping his hooves around the unicorn and softly stroking his hoof through the unicorn's long, fiery-red mane. Black Flag was so confused; Red was never the type to show such open and loving gestures before. But as he felt the stallion's soft fur against his body, the Pegasus whispering in his ear about how it was all going to be okay, how he should just stay here with them... didn't he mean him? Maybe he was even more exhausted than he originally thought. At this point, Black Flag was just too tired to care. It was as if all the stress and exhaustion he'd built up for the past few days was just slowly drifting away and leaving only a need to sleep. His head felt like it was slathered in a thick syrup, and once Red cupped his Flag's chin in his hoof and gently forced him to look up and meet those alluring, hypnotic eyes he stopped thinking about anything at all.  
Steel quickly continued to juke and jive his way out oof his opponent's attacks, the knowledge that one trip up could mean his death firmly planted in his mind. He didn't even bother carrying his sword around right now, that would be too much of a weight to properly maneuver around the battlefield. He just hoped the fight would be over soon; he needed to go looking for Black Flag. That forest looked like it was completely overgrown, and he had no clue how far the stallion went into the woodland to evade combat so he could easily get lost in there and never find his way out ever again. Suddenly, he noticed something that brought both combatants out of their excitement and fighting spirit: The mist was coming back.

"So, they have awakened once more," Starlight said as he looked at the growing fog that curled around them. He looked at Steel and began to laugh. "Well, it's been fun to fight you Steel, but I must leave. You provided a bit of a distraction, but you don't truly deserve to die by my hooves. Perhaps if you make it out of this fog alive, we will cross swords once again. However...I do not expect that to happen." With those words, the stallion vanished in a flash of light and left Steel all alone with countless bodies surrounding him. What did that even mean? What was coming out of this fog? Fuck, he needed to find Black Flag...and fast.  
After grabbing his sword, Steel broke into a rapid dash towards the forest, knowing in his heart that trying to find a single pony in the middle of a dark, unkempt forest covered in such a dense fog would be next to impossible. But that wasn't what mattered. He needed to keep his word to Black Flag's friend that he would return Flag back to him safe and sound. Heck, if he survived whatever that monster was muttering about he'd take him back right now. He clearly wasn't mentally prepared for the horrors of war, and Steel wasn't going to break him like some kind of sadist.

Steel's gaze darted from tree to tree like a wild animal, paranoia running through his veins with every step, and not without reason. He knew that something was lurking within this fog; watching him like a hawk eyeing its next meal. His paranoia was proven to be perfectly justified as he spotted a mysterious figure walking towards him from the fog. As it drew nearer, Steel could feel the blood draining from his face as he recognized who it was, which was quickly followed by his sword falling from his mouth to the ground below. A tall, muscular Gryphon with bandages wrapped around his right claw and several streaks of gray in his fur and an unmistakable scar slashed right above his beak.

"Father?" Steel stammered as he tried to process what he was seeing. No, this was physically impossible. There was no way this was actually happening. He plunged a sword into his father's neck in self-defense and watched him bleed to death on the floor of his tent. Steel finally cracked, that must have been it. He'd gone completely crazy and was starting to hallucinate. However, this rationale disappeared as soon as he felt the Gryphon's tail caress hs fur...and heard Silver Feather speak.

"Hello Shattering Steel," Silver said with a smile as Steel looked for some sign that this was a vision or dream, something about his appearance that was inaccurate. Just anything to snap him out of this surreal delusion. "It's been such a long time since I last saw you. And you have grown into such a beautiful stallion too." As he said this, Silver's claw was brushing against the stallion's cheek as if he were caressing a lover.

"That might be because I stabbed you in the fucking throat with a broadsword!" Steel screamed, trying to will his unmoving body to retreat from the Gryphon. He knew it must have been a trick of some kind, but he seemed to be stuck in place. "What in the name of Celestia are you doing here? How are you still alive?"

"That isn't important," Silver replied, his voice taking on a distinctly seductive and coy tone. "Why don't you...bond with me, Steel. Fill me with that thick, throbbing cock of yours and fuck me until I'm numb?" Before the stallion could react, he found himself staring into his father's beautifully alluring eyes, and he could feel his cock hardening with each passing second. His knees gave out from under him and he found himself kneeling before his father; the mercenary stroking his son's mane as if he were just a pet. Even as Steel's mind screamed for his body to get up and fight, his body was now but a puppet for the Gryphon.

"That's a good little colt," Silver whispered as he snaked his soft tail over his offspring's finely defined muscular structure. "Doesn't it feel so much better to throw away such a bulky sword and serve your father? Don't you just want to take up the mantle as a cock-hungry slut?" Steel remained silent; his only response a hollow, lifeless nod. His mind continued to scream for the body to do anything that defied what the Gryphon commanded, but Steel was no longer in control of his own actions; his body was merely an empty shell.

"I thought so," Silver Feather murmured with a laugh as he motioned for the stallion to get on his back, which Steel immediately did as he was told like a loyal mutt obeying his Master's command. He fell onto the soft grass behind him and revealed his murky brown cock, which was speckled with splotches of pink. It gently swayed and bobbed in the cold wind, and as the Gryphon looked down at his son Steel could hear a deep, content laugh.

"My oh my," Silver said, his claw gently caressing the sensitive organ and eliciting a low groan from his son. Steel was absolutely abhorred how his body was just succumbing to the touch of the Gryphon; moaning and panting as if he were enjoying this. Steel needed to fight back somehow; he wasn't even sure how at this point but he needed to do something! Was this even really his father? Why was he doing this to him? Silver Feather absolutely fucking hated Steel, blaming the Earth pony for the death of his wife; seeing his son as a bad omen upon the mercenary ever since his adoptive mother discovered Steel when he was just a newborn colt underneath the swaying carcass of a hung mare; wriggling and thrashing in a pool of blood. "So eager, aren't we Steel? So eager to please your father, in a hope that he will fuck you so hard you won't even remember your name, hmm?"

"Please..." The stallion said, his will finally pushing through and giving him the briefest sliver of control of his body. "Please father, stop this... I am so sorry for what I have done, just please stop! Don't go any further, I beg you!" The Gryphon, for the quickest moment, looked genuinely surprised by the stallion's iron will and resistance. However, it seemed that Steel's plea was to fall on deaf ears, as he expected.

"I see you still have some fight left in you," Silver said as his claw began to speed up its strokes, and much to Steel's continued disgust he couldn't even stop himself from moaning in pleasure. Even when he held some small amount of control, Silver was still as dominating as ever. Why? Why him? "You know something, I'm actually kind of happy that you're fighting back. I ran into another stallion a little while ago, and he was like putty in my claws. It was just far too easy; glad to see I'll actually have a bit of a challenge this time around. It's just such a shame that most of your body is completely useless to you. Tell me, how does it feel to be so utterly powerless beneath your father; unable to move, unable to fight?" While the warrior kept his mouth firmly clenched shut, even he didn't have the strength to hold back the tears that streamed down his face. He was...crying. He hadn't done that in a long, long time. He hadn't cried since that horrible incident in his tent as a foal.  
Steel was shaken from his thoughts when his father released the Earth stallion's cock, instead placing one claw on each of Steel's hind legs and lifting them into the air. No, please Celestia not this; anything but this. His mind immediately began to flashback to that unforgettable night. The moon was full and bright, the air was cold as the breath of winter against metal, and he was just drifting off to sleep when he heard the tent flap slowly push open. And standing in the entranceway was his father's second-in-command, a bulky, bloodthirsty Zebra named Ungoliant; his emerald green eyes gleaming with an uncanny satisfaction and desire.

He remembered asking Ungoliant what he wanted from him; did his father have a new task for Steel? The Zebra didn't say anything at first, he just approached the foal with a large smirk plastered across his face. Only when he stood over Shattering Steel; that same grin spread across his face with his blood-crusted teeth in plain sight did he finally speak.

"Oh, he has a new task for you alright," Ungoliant said with a chuckle; his voice a deep, monstrous baritone. Without any hesitation or warning, he shoved the colt down to the dusty ground and pinned him down under his weight, that same grin having not changed one bit. Actually, it might have gotten even wider. So wide that if it went any farther Ungoliant might have started to bleed from the mouth. He lifted Steel's hind legs onto his shoulders and began to elaborate just what he meant by 'a new task'.

"Your father paid me thirty bits to show you the true definition of suffering, you obnoxious little runt. So, your new task is that you don't struggle. And if you do, then Celestia have mercy upon you because I swear that I will beat you so badly that you won't be talkin' right for a nice long time. How 'bout that, isn't that a nice little reason to keep from yelpin' too loud?" Ungoliant loomed over the horrified colt, his face so close to Steel's that he could see the stitches along the Zebra's cheek from the stab wound he'd received a few days ago. And as he felt the Zebra plunge into him without a second thought; his anal cavity splitting and tearing within seconds, Steel did the only thing he could think of: He punched Ungoliant square in the cheek, right where the stitches were located. The Zebra reeled back, blood pouring from his face as the stitches broke loose. But the colt didn't stop there. He immediately got up and began wailing on the Zebra; punching him over and over and over again. Steel hit him with everything that he had, aiming for Ungoliant's eyes and throat. He eventually heard the sound of some bone breaking, and that was what finally snapped the stallion back to reality.

Steel blinked once, then again. He looked downward and saw that he wasn't standing over his father or Ungoliant, but some kind of insectoid creature. Holes peppered its legs and body, its wings were transparent and thin, and its hide was a polished black; the texture smooth and hard. Upon its skull was a jagged, fang-like horn. What...was this thing? As he looked down at the thriving and groaning creature, watching blood pour from its mouth like a waterfall, Steel suddenly felt a berserker's rage building up inside his mind, unlike anything he'd ever felt before. He pinned the creature down under his weight and looked into its luminescent blue eyes.

"After you impersonated my father, brainwashed me, and then try to rape me, I am going to send you into a world of agony and pain unlike anything you've ever dreamed of," Steel growled, his voice akin to an unearthly abomination rising from the depths of the ocean to cast its vengeance upon the world of the living. "But...before we begin, you mentioned earlier that you brainwashed a stallion who entered the forest a little while before I did. What did you do with him?"

"I...I sent him into the forest to be used by the others! Please, don't hurt me! I'll do anything if you let me go, I swear!" As Steel watched the pitiful insectoid continue to beg and plead for his life, spitting blood with each sob and cry, he felt an immense amount of both disgust and rage. How many ponies had this bastard captured, and how many begged for their lives that he ignored or even mocked? Steel certainly wasn't going to let the fucker go, not after what he'd done to him. "Please show mercy on us!"

"I'm afraid that isn't an option," Steel said as he got off the Changeling and retrieved his sword from where he dropped it. As he held the blade over the insectoid, he looked into those unnatural luminescent eyes one last time, and he saw true fear burning within them. It was the look of a creature that knew he was going to die and didn't want to accept the inevitable. As he drove the sword straight through the creature's soft belly and buried it into the ground under it, all he could think about was what a waste of air this abomination was. All was quiet for a few moments before Steel began to make his way deeper into the forest.

It wasn't long before Steel caught sight of two more of those creatures; walking side by side and talking about...something. He couldn't quite make it out. Unsure if it would be something important, Steel quickly dropped to the dirty forest floor and began to drag his body across the ground as quietly as possible. Thankfully, they didn't seem to be paying attention and he was able to make out the last few bits of the conversation from the safe camouflage of some bushes and the fog.

"I'm telling you, he has been gone for way too long!" The Changeling to the left said firmly, his wings buzzing rapidly as if to reinforce his statement. "I know Genocyphon likes to fuck with ponies' heads and all that, but he is just taking his sweet fat time with this one. He said he would meet us back here after his shift, but that was a good thirty minutes ago. I'm gonna go looking for him." The other Changeling just shrugged.

"Hey, Webneck! Don't piss yourself if you find one of them monsters like a vamp or a Shoggoth while looking for 'im!" The second Changeling said with a laugh as the first one began to leave. His friend stopped in his tracks, turned his head, and replied in a rather bitter tone.

"Get lost. You wouldn't recognize a damn monster if one jumped up and bit you on the end of your shriveled dick." The Changeling's reply honestly almost made Steel blow his cover when he felt a laugh just itching to burst free. It was just so...strangely out of left field that it almost became hilarious. He managed to keep his cool, however, and watched as the first Changeling finally left the vicinity. Now was the time for him to strike that sentry down.  
Once the first Changeling was out of sight, Steel immediately lunged from the underbrush and charged for the unaware insectoid abomination. He didn't even give the poor creature a chance to see him, he just swung his sword once and the Changeling's body was bisected; the upper half flying several feet before crumpling like a doll when it smacked into the trunk of a nearby tree. Steel didn't take the time to hesitate any longer than he needed to. The soldier of fortune was going to soak the forest in the blood of these creatures and he didn't have time to waste.

He continued to gallop through the forest, hoping he found the source of those...things soon. Based on how low the sun was, he didn't have much longer before the sun set and the moon rose into the sky. And the last thing he wanted was to be lost in a forest with an unknown amount of these monsters, especially when their skins were naturally black as darkness and would thus blend in perfectly. He paused, collected himself for a moment, and began to think out a strategy. He couldn't just run aimlessly in the vain hope that he would eventually run into a large group of those creatures, that would be a very stupid waste of his time. So, maybe he could bring the creatures to him. Hmm... He harnessed his mighty weapon onto his back to free his mouth and began to put his plan into motion.

"Hey, Black Flag!" Steel screamed, his voice echoing through the forest over and over again as he called out the stallion's name. Over and over again, like a broken record he screamed out his name; each time sounding more desperate. And eventually, his efforts were rewarded. Good thing, too. He was getting pretty close to throwing out his voice. It was when he heard the faint cry for Steel's name that he knew that his bait had been taken. He quickly hurried to the source of the voice and found a familiar gray unicorn crying alone in the middle of a meadow. His fiery mane was clotted with dirt and his fur was marred with bruises, but he looked in relatively good shape. Black Flag looked up, and immediately scrambled over to the stallion.

"Oh Shattering Steel," He cried happily as he threw his hooves around the larger stallion's neck and buried his muzzle in Steel's neck lovingly. Tears of joy began to fall down his cheeks, dampening the older stallion's tan fur as they fell, and a large smile was spread from ear to ear across Black Flag's muzzle. "I missed you so much!"

"I missed you too," Steel said softly, returning the embrace for a few moments...right before smacking Black Flag in the jaw with his right hoof and slamming the pony to the ground. Well, 'pony' would be an inaccurate term to use, as the sudden assault was enough to reveal the shapeshifter's true form. As the creature was coughing and sputtering in utter shock, Steel began to ask questions. "Where did you fuckers come from? You must have some kind of hideout or nest; where is it? I swear if you don't tell me, I will tear your legs out of their sockets."

"Okay, okay!" The creature cried out as he tried to cover his face to protect himself from another assault by the stallion. "I'll show you where the Changeling hive is, I swear it! No tricks, no calls for help, no shapeshifting! I promise!" Steel smiled and pulled the Changeling off the ground. The Changeling didn't need any more encouragement than a harsh look to get moving, so he began to lead the stallion through the forest until they reached the outskirts of a large clearing surrounded by trees, at the center of which was that nefarious hive of scum and villainy.

Whatever Steel thought that he would find in this forest, it certainly wasn't...this. A vast network of small broods and cocoons that were crawling with seemingly countless amounts of those horrid monstrosities. Steel couldn't even begin to figure out just how many of them there were, and he didn't really care to find out. He just knew that every last one of them was going to die. Painfully. They decided to mess with the bull, now they were going to get the horns.


	11. Chapter 11: Steel's Rage

"Look, I showed you where the hive is! Now, are you gonna let me go? Please don't kill me!" As his gaze turned to the Changeling, Steel could see the creature shudder and tremble like a common rat as it was trapped by an angry hound. While he was quite barbaric at times, Steel wasn't going to be so dickish that he would kill a creature who aided him. Unless they double-crossed him, of course. Then he would kick their asses so hard that they'd be nothing but a bloody paste after he was done with them. But before he let this Changeling go...he had one last question for him.

"I'm looking for a stallion named Black Flag. One of your friends brainwashed him and sent to, in his words, "Be used by the other Changelings." Firstly, what would he have meant by "used him"? And secondly, where would they have kept him?"

"He most likely meant that they were going to use him as a brood," The creature said quickly, and Steel got angrier just from the sound of that. Images of the Changelings using him over and over again to spread their kind like he was some kind of breeding machine flooded his mind, and he was already beginning to feel sick. Did that mean...they were using foals for that same purpose? Oh, sweet Celestia, he hoped not. "I'll warn you now, once the breeder Changelings begin to lay their eggs in a host, that host will never be the same. As for where he is, the breeding chamber is heavily guarded. So just look for any chambers with lots of Changeling soldiers guarding the entrance. As if that will really narrow your choices down at all. I've answered your questions; are ya going to let me go now?"

"Certainly," Steel said before whacking the Changeling so hard that he felt flat on his back; knocked unconscious. He didn't want that little bastard flying off and warning the others that he was coming. Actually, why didn't he do that already? Must have traded in his intelligence and common sense for his shapeshifting gimmick. Oh well. He began to slowly make his way towards the waiting hive; ready to cause some serious damage.  
For once, the mercenary didn't charge straight into battle. The hive was protected by a menacing wall that formed a ring around the farthest reaches of the hive, with a single entrance leading inside. Steel knew that he needed to be as stealthy as possible. He dragged his body against the ground at a painfully slow pace, which allowed him to contemplate his choice to save one stallion that he knew for a maximum of three days. Why was he risking his life for such a pointless goal? There was no reward involved; in fact, there was no real benefit for him at all. Perhaps it was to save Black Flag from such a horrible fate as being an egg chamber for a bunch of insect monsters. He kept to the outskirts; edging around the rim for an entrance that would have the minimal surveillance. With every move the Earth stallion took, he felt like he was a soldier heading straight into a suicide march; one last gamble in an attempt to find fame and fortune. But this wasn't a suicide march; he knew that he would succeed. After all, what was the worst that could happen? Sure, they could shapeshift but it wasn't like he held any attachment to his comrades in battle, and he'd already seen the parental ploy once. However, there were a lot of them, and he'd never seen how they'd act in large numbers.

Once he was close enough to the wall to get a clear view of the entrance, he saw two Changelings clad in sleek armor that was as dark as the night sky. Their eyes, despite neither of the guards having spotted Steel, seemed to pierce his very soul. Not wanting to blow his element of surprise, Steel threw his cape over his body and began to make his way to the wall at a snail's pace. Once he was far enough out of sight that neither of the guards would have seen him, he sprung up off the dirty ground and pushed himself against the wall; which felt unnaturally living and biological like he could feel something underneath the wall moving about. It was cold and smooth, but it certainly wasn't made of stone or brick. Steel began to slowly move against the wall back towards the entrance. As he was moving, he began to think back on the one other time he was forced to act with stealth. That had been many years ago when he wasn't any older than Black Flag was now. A noble tasked him with killing a rival aristocrat as revenge for attempting to poison him. The pay the noble offered was quite a nice reward, so Steel accepted without a second thought. And while he murdered the official without any trouble, that was before...the mission took a turn that Steel would never have expected. As he felt the cold wall against his back, Steel once again heard the sound of that thick wooden door opening...the sound of a voice calling out for the noble. Steel never would forget those moments when he lunged out from behind the door and shoved the pony against the castle's wall and plunged his sword through their heart. Only when Steel's mind finally began to clear up did he realize that who he just killed was no older than a colt. Steel watched helplessly as the colt gasped and heaved; blood clogging his lungs and spewing from his mouth, his hoof reaching for the mercenary as if begging him to save his life. The smell of blood clogged Steel's nostrils, and all he could think was, 'What have I done? WHAT HAVE I DONE?!'

Steel blinked and shook his head, realizing that he was still in that forest, plastered against the outer wall like a reptile. No more castle, just needed to focus on the present. He could see the two guards just a few feet from him. He released his sword from the harness on his back and began to formulate a plan of attack; gears turning in his head with every second he waited. After about a minute, he finally conceded that there was no way he would be able to take them out if he needed to take more than one swing. And he couldn't slice through them, because surprise surprise, a slab of raw iron wasn't the stealthiest or most agile weapon to use. Who would have ever thought? Wait. Maybe brute force wouldn't get him in...but a diversion tactic might just do the trick. Steel sheathed his sword once more and began to approach the two guards.

"Halt! Come no further," The Changeling on the left commanded before he and his comrade approached the Earth stallion. Their fangs glinted like blades of steel in the dwindling light of the twilight's closing, and Steel wondered just how effective those would be at rending flesh apart like a pair of hungry wolves. Shattering Steel didn't move a muscle, akin to a statue of flesh.

"Did one of the scouts send ya here, huh?" The second Changeling said as he carefully moved the pony's head with his hoof as if he were a jeweler examining a gemstone for imperfections. While he was inspecting Steel's front, the other guard was pulling up the stallion's tan cloak to examine his torso; feeling the chiseled muscles with his hooves before dropping the cape and letting it rest on the stallion's back once more. Steel found it strange that the two soldiers didn't even try to move his sword off his back. Although, considering how heavy it was they wouldn't have had much luck moving it anyways.

"Yeah," Steel replied in as much of a droning voice that he could pull off. He wasn't sure how a hypnotized or brainwashed pony talked, so he just did his best to wing it. The two guards just looked at one another for a few seconds, before the two cracked eerily similar smiles. That could never be a good thing. Did he fuck up somehow?

"Did the scout that sent you here tell you about the little...initiation that you have to go through to get inside?" Steel just shook his head, not wanting to blow his cover by trying and failing to emulate the mannerisms of their victims. The Changeling chuckled, which was a sound akin to a couple of violins or some other stringed instrument. It was strange but whatever. Steel was more worried about what the Changeling was referring to that made him laugh in the first place. "Don't worry, it isn't much of a challenge. You just have to make us cum and we'll lead you to your new apparatus alongside the others. Now kneel, you dirty mudpony."

As much as it horrified him to do so, Steel immediately got on his knees and awaited further orders. The two Changelings looked down upon the warrior with smug smirks; cocks swaying in the wind as they approached. The one on the right smacked Steel across the cheek to get him to open up his mouth, and he barely had enough time to take a few breaths before his mouth was jammed full of cock. Fuck, Steel felt like he wanted to vomit and they hadn't even started yet.

The two soldiers were not merciful or kind in the slightest; their assault was rough, fast, and unforgiving. The two rammed their cocks into the stallion's mouth over and over again, not even giving Steel a moment of respite. But as horrible as their treatment of him was, there was something far worse than their brutal treatment of him. It was a soft, nagging thought that lingered in the very back of Steel's mind. It was something he never wanted to think.

"You're enjoying this," The voice whispered. Steel mentally screamed as if to try and drown the thought out, but he knew it was true. With every thrust into his mouth, he could feel his own cock growing harder and harder. No, this couldn't be real! It was just a dream; a horrible fucked up dream! But with the ever-present feeling of his stallionhood pulsing with need, he knew that was simply not the case. He couldn't deny the voices inside his brain, no matter how he tried.

"Hey, Void," The Changeling to Steel's right murmured to his comrade as he gestured with his hoof towards the Earth stallion's erection. "Check out the package that our dirty little slut is carrying." Steel could hear an impressed whistling noise from the Changeling to the left. Steel felt repulsed, both with himself and the guards. The way they were both abusing him in such a horrible way and how they gawked at his genitalia. He felt degraded and humiliated.

"Oh wow, you're right. I'm gonna have to ask Rosine if I can visit our darling little pet if I can visit him sometime after we hook him up," Void replied with a laugh before his pushes became even more fierce. "Yo, Ubik, I'm gonna blow my load soon. Wanna race me to the finish? Betcha fifty bits that I can finish before you can." The second Changeling nodded, accepting his friend's challenge as the two began to truly pound into the warrior's mouth. Their smooth, glistening black cocks slid over his tongue swiftly, occasionally rubbing against each other until Void filled the stallion's mouth with his sweet-scented seed. Emitting a low groan, the second Changeling was only a few seconds behind his friend before his own seed hit the warrior's tongue. Thinking quickly, Steel swallowed their loads to keep up the illusion of a horny, needy slut. For some reason, after he ingested the substance he began to feel lightheaded, but the feeling passed pretty quickly.

"Aww, shit. I swear you must have been cheating somehow. Well, maybe I'll have some better luck next time." Ubik quickly pulled the stallion to help him stand up, and Steel could feel drips of cum running down his chin with every second. He wanted to wipe it away, to clean away the shame, but he knew that would blow his cover within the blink of an eye. "Now come along, mudpony. We're gonna show you your brand new home."

Steel was led like fresh cattle by the two guards through the large Changeling hive, and with every step, Steel could feel the ever-present gazes of the other Changelings. There must have been at least a few thousand of them thriving within this hive, and even with a sword as large as his, he knew that they would overwhelm him pretty quickly. As much as the process to get past the guards pained him, at least he didn't have to fight his way through waves of these creatures while blindly searching every inch for Black Flag. Small miracles.  
Eventually, the two guards led him to a large structure located at the very back of the camp, most likely for defensive purposes. Steel could see the faint flickering of torches dancing quickly against the edges of the walls, so at least he would be able to see inside that huge chamber without blindly stumbling around in the darkness like a newborn foal. The Changeling ahead of him gestured for the stallion to enter, which he quickly did so. As he made his way inside, he saw that the interior was just a single room of unknown size but it must have been somewhere in the range of relatively large and fucking huge. Though he found the situation a little suspicious when the two Changelings didn't follow him, but by the time he noticed this the entrance already sealed closed behind him. Fuck.

"Hey! What's going on?" Steel screamed as he bolted back to where the entrance used to be. He didn't even care that he just broke character; he wanted answers, damn it.  
"What?" Void inquired with a soft chortle. "You really didn't think you were fooling either of us with your shitty imitation of a hypnotized pony, did you? If you just acted natural, you might have actually fooled us into believing you. But oh well. At least you have the company of both the ponies that we've captured and Grunbeld. He should give you a nice beating before Rosine arrives and actually bends your mind to our will like a piece of balsa."

"Your analogy was terrible," Steel said with a roll of his eyes. He didn't get an answer from the two, they must have buzzed off, but that wasn't his main priority at the moment. He needed to find Black Flag, bust this wall down, and haul ass out of this confounded mess. And who was that Grunbeld that the guard talked about? Whatever it was, Steel knew two things about it already. First of all, it definitely wasn't an ally. Secondly, it was going to get a nice big helping of six feet of iron rammed down its throat. He took a breath, exhaled, and turned around to look at his surroundings. And what he saw made him both angry and disgusted.

Dozens upon dozens of foals and adults were strapped down to harnesses, suspended in the air several inches off the ground, their legs spread wide and mouths hanging open as if waiting to be fed. As he trotted around the room, he saw the empty, lifeless gazes that didn't even look back at him as he passed by. It was as if they didn't even register that he was there at all. Drool and spit dripped from their chins, gathering in small pools on the smooth floor below them. Their stomachs swelled and bulged; the outlines of Changeling eggs visible along the stretches of their bloated bellies.  
Before Steel could locate Black Flag amidst all of these ponies, he heard something shift from behind his back. The warrior whirled around and saw a pair of fiery red eyes burning through the shadows of the room that not even the torches' light could purge. Steel acted quickly, releasing his blade from its harness and gripping it firmly in his mouth. The familiar sensation of the strong hilt grasped so tightly in his mouth served as a strange comfort for the mercenary. It assured him that he still held a small amount of control over the situation. He quietly waited for whatever was lurking in the shadows to make itself known.

"Who enters my domain?" A hellish rumble spoke, which echoed off the walls around Steel, which sent chills down his spine. This must have been the Grunbeld that the guards were talking about.

"My name is Shattering Steel," The eponymous stallion replied, having planted his hooves firmly in the ground in a hardened battle stance as he waited for the creature to make its move. He wasn't even sure what he was going to be facing, but whatever it was it must have been quite a lethal combatant. But whatever, that didn't matter. Steel was almost certain he could take it down with enough tenacity, after all, nothing could have been more horrible or deadly than that monster Starlight Apostle. Or so he hoped.

"My name is Grunbeld," The mysterious creature replied without moving. It just remained where it was, seeming to be scanning every last inch of the warrior's body with its cold gaze. "I assume that you were thrown in here after you were caught trying to sneak inside, hmm?" Shattering Steel gasped in shock. How did he know about that? "Don't act so surprised. You aren't the first to try and save the ponies we have captured here. And it is more than likely that you will not be the last one either. Hope you enjoy watching the exact same situation that you are in getting played out once more before your eyes as you hang suspended alongside all your friends. But first, before any of that can occur, you must be detained. It's such a shame you ponies are such fragile creatures, it gets so tiresome with how easily you crumple and die with each fight I am forced to participate in."

The stallion suddenly heard...something move in those shadows, and he mentally prepared himself to be ready for whatever came out of those shadows. No matter what happened, he still needed to stand his ground against this foe. After a few seconds, he saw a large marble-white war hammer come forth from the shadows, alongside a colossal Changeling decked out in a set of armor that closely resembled the appearance of a dragon. There was only one section that wasn't covered in this terrifying white armor; the "mouth", where the Changeling's face could be seen. That face was cold and calculating. To the Changeling's right was a large shield that was as tall as Steel, was forged into the shape of a mighty dragon's head, and looked thick enough to be able to block even the strongest magic.

There was no witty banter between the two warriors. No taunts, no one-liners, no long monologs or speeches. For a few moments, the two just stared each other down as if they were two sworn enemies instead of just being a couple of foes that just so happened to have crossed paths. This silence was broken when Grunbeld made the first move; swinging his war hammer in a downward slash in an attempt to cripple the stallion in a single strike. Luckily, though, Steel saw the attack coming and rolled to the side to evade, cape whirling around his muscular frame. Steel heard the floor crack behind him due to the war hammer's sheer might, and he realized that if he didn't keep moving he would be felled in a single blow.  
The stallion suddenly noticed out of the corner of his eye that, instead of the hammer coming around for another strike, Grunbeld's shield was following him. Now, why was that? What was that monster planning to do? Steel suddenly felt the large shield ram into his side, sending him rolling several feet as pain shot through his ribs. It felt like he'd just been rammed by a large bull! He quickly got up as fast as he could, not sure what Grunbeld's next attack would be, and found himself staring down at a large opening at the bottom of the shield.  
The mercenary wasn't sure what that opening was for, and he didn't really want to find out. Steel rolled to the side once more, and it was a good thing too. If he hadn't moved at that precise moment, he probably wouldn't have still been standing as a powerful stream of flames erupted from that opening and splattered all over where Steel stood moments earlier. And even as the two warriors met in fierce combat the poor ponies around them did not move or groan. They just silently stayed suspended in the air, as if they were just inanimate pieces of furniture.

Steel's mind was racing frantically. He needed to find a way to not only evade Grunbeld's heavy assault but also fucking kill him. All it would take would be a single strike through that opening in the front and it would be almost assuredly lethal. But how would he reach Grunbeld when Steel ran the risk of incineration? The warrior looked around quickly, trying to find something that could be used to his advantage. Unfortunately, the only thing he could see were the...other ponies. As Steel ducked under another swing from the war hammer, the gears in his head really began to overclock. Another strike which Steel quickly backstepped to avoid the blow, and found himself right beside one of the captive foals. Then, he noticed something else. Grunbeld's weaponry wasn't following him. They just lingered out of reach like a couple of predators waiting for their prey to resurface.

This confused the warrior for a moment, but then it suddenly clicked in his head. A wide, ferocious grin began to spread across his muzzle; revealing his pearly white teeth as he began to formulate a truly sadistic and downright insidious plan. He leaned down; sword glistening in the flickering light of the torches as its razor edge was pointed directly at the young foal's swollen stomach. Steel didn't do anything afterward just yet, he was going to wait for a reaction first.  
"Go ahead and plunge that sword into his belly," Grunbeld said as coldly as the unending freezing gusts of a torrential ice storm. "It's not like I would care; the eggs inside that pony aren't my problem, they're Rosine's. You probably wouldn't even have the guts to pull it off, so why don't you get over here and fight me like a true warrior?" Steel almost laughed at the Changeling's vain attempt to pretend that he didn't care whether the eggs inside the colt lived or died. It was far too late to pull that charade over his eyes, the obvious hesitation to attack gave the facade away. But that would just make destroying Grunbeld's false cold attitude all the more entertaining.

"Well, if that's the case, I might as well as destroy some of Rosine's progress then," Steel replied before he pulled his sword back, ready to strike. With every second, he looked dead in the Changeling's eyes and watched how he reacted. Steel could just tell that it was taking all of Grunbeld's willpower to not bolt forward and try to protect the offspring that writhed and squirmed inside their eggs helplessly. And, without another moment of hesitation, Steel swung his sword in a downward slash that would assuredly split the colt in half and kill both him and the babies inside, spilling the remains all over the floor in a repulsive sludge of bloodshed and intestines. And that was what finally got Grunbeld to crack.

"What are you doing?!" The Changeling screamed in horror as the blade began its descent. "Stop, stop your blade!" Unfortunately, Grunbeld's demand fell on deaf ears, and it was far too late to do anything anyway. The ground trembled in defeat as the mighty Dragonslayer split clean through the foal and collided with the hard floor below, soaked in blood and the thin outer shells of Changeling eggs, with the torn remnants of intestinal tracts sliding off the edge lifelessly. What little remained of a once-promising brood of young Changelings now soaked into the floor and smeared all over Steel's mighty blade. As he was robbed of a mother's love at birth, he robbed their mother of the joy that taking care of younglings brought. He could smell that oh-so-familiar and potent stench; the smell of blood.

Grunbeld filled the structure with a deafening scream of pure, untamed rage as he barreled right towards Steel at breakneck speed. He seemed to have abandoned his weaponry as his wrath clouded his mind's judgment, which was precisely what Steel planned on happening. The stallion rolled out of Grunbeld's path as quickly as he could, managing to evade the Changeling's charge with ease and leaving his foe completely exposed. Now it was time to finally cripple his opponent.

There was no empathy or mercy in the stallion's cold heart as he leaped into action, sword grasped firmly in his mouth as he lunged towards the distraught Changeling. His movement was an agile one; a forward somersault through the air that made his weapon essentially a whirling blade of death and pain. And pain did it bring as he heard a firm crack, followed by a howl of agony as the warrior landed on the ground flawlessly. He turned around quickly, ready to face Grunbeld once again, and found the warrior reeling on the floor as he palmed blindly at the place where his horn used to be. Blood trickled from the wound, splattering the cold and unforgiving floor underneath him, and the jagged chunk of bone laid lifelessly several feet away from the Changeling.  
"Do you remember what you told me about how fragile ponies were?" Steel said as he stood over the helpless guard with nothing but rage and hatred burning in his eyes. He knew that the other Changelings would be here to investigate soon, after all nopony would be able to ignore screams like the ones Grunbeld was making, so he needed to end this quickly. "Let's just see how fragile you are after I crush your skull like a road roller!"

"Wait! Please, have mercy on me!" Grunbeld pleaded as he reached upward towards his foe, tears rolling down his smooth insectoid flesh. Such a shame that Steel was far beyond mercy at this point. With one clean strike, the stallion rammed his sword through Grunbeld's gaping mouth. Of course, Grunbeld raised his front legs to try and hold back the mighty sword, but it was too late, there was no escape. The colossal sword shattered his feeble arms and pierced his mouth, forcing the poor Changeling's lower jaw to split apart as his skull caved in under the weight and bringing his life to a horrific end; a sickening green blood pouring from his skull's orifices as he drew his last breath.

Once he finally dispatched the bastard, Steel quickly doused several of the torches to provide more makeshift camouflage as he pressed himself against the wall, waiting for the guards to eventually show up. As he expected, there wasn't much of a wait before the wall opened up beside him and a squadron of at least ten guards burst inside frantically. Steel didn't lunge from the shadows to attack just yet. No, he was going to wait...and he was going to savor their fear.

"Grunbeld? Are you okay?" The leader of the pack screamed desperately as his eyes darted around the room. "Where's the capti..." The Changeling's words seemed to have died in his throat the moment that he laid his eyes upon the guard's corpse. From his place in the darkness, Steel could almost smell the fear as it spread like wildfire through the group. "All of you! Stay on your guard, and don't relax it for even a second! He's still here!"

"I'm afraid that won't be enough," Steel said with a smirk as he calmly strolled forth from the shadows. The whole pack whirled around to see him, and Steel was almost certain he heard a terrified shriek from somewhere in that small horde, though he wasn't entirely sure which of the Changelings let out the noise. That didn't matter anyhow. They were gonna be making a plethora of similar noises soon enough. Steel didn't wait for a response, he immediately lunged for the nearest Changeling and split them in half with a single slice. He could hear the creature's bones snap apart like thin twigs as the large hunk of iron split him apart quickly and efficiently, and as Steel's ears were filled with the screams of agony once again, he once again felt like he was finally at peace with himself.

Steel watched with a wide grin as his opponents slowly backed away from the blood-drenched warrior in fear. The stallion thought back to what one of his comrades in a battle once told him; that fear could turn the tide of battle as quickly as one could blink. Steel had never heard truer words in his life before or since then, and they applied so perfectly to the situation at hand. Instead of forming a battle plan, instead of teaming up against him, Steel's foes were cowering and trembling like young foals, And quite frankly, Steel wasn't going to let this opportunity go to waste.

The stallion moved like a whirlwind of death and destruction, slicing through his foes one after another without pausing for even a moment. They didn't even try to fight back, they just screamed and fled as best they could; abandoning each other to a gruesome fate at the hooves of Shattering Steel. Their ill green blood splattered all over the floor and walls like paint; alongside sinking into Steel's fur and coating plenty of the ponies around him. Who, even amongst this bloodshed and madness, still did not move or react at all.

As Steel finally began to calm down from his adrenaline-induced euphoria, his eyes surveyed the room around him. Chunks of organs and bones littered the ground around him in a repulsive mess of death. He considered taking the time to search around for Black Flag, but Steel knew that it was incredibly important for him to cut a way out this horrid place before he decided to lug around a pony. He thought back to what Grunbeld told him about one of his comrades named Rosine...if he wasn't mistaken, one of those guards that had used Steel also mentioned that name. Steel didn't know what or who she was, but he was gonna kill her too! Couldn't be that hard of a task, she was probably just another Changeling with a fancy bit of armor on or something.

The warrior turned around and, much to both his surprise and relief, the Changelings that he just got finished killing forgot to re-seal that wall, thus giving him an easy exit back outside. Steel wondered if either Void or Ubik were a part of the small pack that he sent to the grave just moments earlier, though he quickly dismissed that thought. It would be too convenient. Besides, he didn't need to be focusing on stupid things like that; there were more pressing problems right now.

Steel slung his sword over his back once more and quickly made his way out of that awful structure, relieved to finally be out in the fresh air instead of some awful sex chamber that was forever coated in the reek of sexual musk. The sun had finally set, but that definitely wasn't a problem. Not with what he saw at the center of the hive; which was radiating an unnatural green light like some kind of strange lantern. It was some kind of creature that floated gracefully in midair; its hooves brushing against the ground. Its body was the familiar black color of a Changeling, but no holes peppered its body and its wings were far larger and resembled a lunar moth's wings. Having noticed the stallion, its head slowly turned to face him. It was at this moment that Steel noticed that they were the only two creatures in sight.

"Why hello there," The creature spoke in a surreal foal-like voice as it fluttered in the air. "Are you the pony who killed my young? The one who killed Grunbeld?"

"Yes, you are correct." Steel said as he carefully observed the strange Changeling. "You must have feared Celestia finding and destroying this hive, but it was I, Shattering Steel, who slew them. Who are you?" The Changeling giggled.

"My name is Rosine," The eponymous creature said with a smile spread across her graceful and smooth features. "You know, you seem to do whatever you want; Discord may care! I like you!"


	12. Chapter 12: The End

"So, Rosine," Steel said between his gritted teeth; his blood boiling to a peak amount of rage. He despised how this abomination carried such a youthful amount of whimsy and sweetness in her personality, despite having foal-napped and raped dozens of ponies as if they were nothing more than her personal breeding machines to use at her own leisure. It made him so fucking sick. It was similar to how guards would sexually abuse mares and stallions for shits and giggles, sometimes using their spears as makeshift tools for their devious desires. "What are you? You don't look like any of the other Changelings I have seen so far. What's with the wings? Actually, now that I think about it, why are you even here? Why have you been abducting ponies and using them as your sex slaves, you sick fuck?" Rosine didn't say anything right away, she just raised her hoof and revealed a brand on her front leg which glowed so brightly that Steel could see it clear as day even from the 20 feet of distance between them.

"I am merely a blessed disciple of my mistress Nightmare Moon; tasked with breeding a great army for her return," Rosine said with another giggle. "She saved me from a horrible death, and gave my spirit a brand new host body in exchange for a simple sacrifice!" As she said this, she whirled around like a ballet performer, wings glowing beautifully in the night sky with a pure luminosity. Wait, Nightmare Moon? The mention of her name alone could never be an omen of good things to come. And Steel, while he might not have been a particularly brilliant individual, had this bad feeling in his gut that what she called a "simple sacrifice" was something a bit more complicated or horrible than that. "Do ya like my wings, Mr. Steel? Aren't they just super pretty?"

"Oh, those wings look absolutely lovely," Steel said as his grimace turned into a twisted grin. "It's such an awful shame that I'm gonna have to rip them off. Slowly and painfully, too." The Changeling gasped; a look of shock and horror coming upon her youthful face. Tears welled up in her bright green eyes before rolling down her smooth cheeks and falling to the soft grass below her. Steel knew he was doing the right thing. Being upset and pissed off was almost certainly going to lead to Rosine making rash decisions, to making mistakes like a young foal.

"Why would you ever say such a horrible thing?" Rosine screamed angrily as tears continued to stream down her face. "I'll make you eat those words, damn it!" Moving far faster than Steel was anticipating, Rosine barreled towards the warrior; intending to impale him on her horn, and the stallion barely had enough time to twist his head out of the way of the razor-sharp spike. While the horn thankfully didn't hit its mark, the sheer force of her body colliding with Steel's knocked him back several feet. Fuck, why did everything he had been fighting so far try to ram into him? It was starting to get a little repetitive. However, being repetitive didn't stop it from hurting like crazy every time it happened.

As Steel struggled to get back up, he saw the eerie light of the abomination's wings piercing the night sky as she swooped up into the air above him with ease. There must have been something magic about her wings because there was no way Rosine could be so aerodynamic with wings that looked about as thin as a sheet of paper. Heck, Steel was pretty certain that most Pegasi would have severe difficulty controlling themselves as precisely as she was while maintaining the speed she was traveling at. As she dove back downward, ready for another pass, Steel knew he needed to be as mobile as possible. Without a second thought, he released his sword with a shift of his back, which landed on the ground with a firm thud.

And it wasn't a moment too soon because that gave him just enough mobility to dive to the ground as Rosine passed right over his head; close enough to brush against his soft black mane. He needed to find a way to ground his opponent and fast. He didn't know how many more lucky chances he was gonna have before Rosine got a lucky shot and skewered him like a wild boar on a spear. However, her tactics were thankfully very similar to how a young foal would fight. Any decent warrior would use any and all tools available, instead of just reusing the same primitive technique of trying to ram him over and over again. Steel knew that if she knew how to use magic spells, he would have almost certainly been dead.

As Rosine came around for another pass, Steel got an idea. He just needed to gallop straight towards the forest. It wouldn't be that far of a distance, just under thirty seconds if he moved fast enough. As Steel's opponent swooped down for another attack, he slid on his belly; evading his foe once again before immediately getting back up and breaking into a gallop straight for the woods that provided the outskirts of the hive. He didn't even grab his sword, he just starting galloping towards the woods. Thankfully, he was quick enough to reach the outer limits before Rosine spotted him. This was a good spot; lots of branches and thickets everywhere he looked. He watched in amusement as the creature swooped and soared all over the hive, looking desperately for her target in the shadow-covered darkness.

"Tell me, Rosine," Steel said with a cocky smirk tugging at his coarse lips, finally deciding to reveal himself. A quick jerk of her head and those unnaturally luminescent eyes were looking in his direction, though he wasn't totally sure if Rosine saw him yet. He wouldn't blame her if she didn't; it was quite dark out tonight, which was only made worse by the countless branches and leaves around him. Which was fine by Steel, made this a lot easier. "How does it feel to bare the knowledge that you got your worthless ass saved by the cowardly and traitorous Whore Princess of the Moon?"

Naturally, Rosine took the bait and came rushing straight toward Steel. And that was when the scheming stallion began to put his plan into motion. He backstepped and retreated further into the woods, and when Rosine pulled up to avoid hitting any trees, she only wound up worsening her situation. Her wings got caught in the razor-sharp branches that seemed to stretch for as far as the eye could see. It was like a classic hunter's trap; if her wings weren't so large she would have been able to ascend above the tree line without any problems. Steel, for once in his life, felt pity for an opponent as Rosine, in a desperate and futile attempt to escape, tore her wings apart on the branches; screaming and hollering in agony as the same wings she took such pride in were now the cause of her demise. Part of Steel wanted to help her down and finish her off, but she was far too high for him to reach. Rosine was stuck there, and even if she did manage to break free she would probably wind up snapping her neck on the fall back down to the ground. Actually, the more Steel thought about her situation, the less sympathy he felt. She saw ponies as nothing more than food and breeding hosts for her hives and was merely a pawn for a much more horrid force in the universe. Steel was doing the world a favor.

The Changeling's screams, wails, and sobs grew fainter and fainter as Steel turned his back to Rosine and returned to the hive, ready to finally save Black Flag. He couldn't wait to just grab the pony and get out of this damn forest once and for all. He was tired, the constant toils of battle were really beginning to exhaust his body. He stumbled into the breeding chamber, grabbed one of the torches, and began to search the large structure for his comrade. The whole building was rank with the unholy stench of rotting flesh and blood that Steel had spilled not too long ago. Every pony that his flame passed over gazed back at him with the same dead, soulless expression that sent chills down his spine. Thankfully, it didn't take too long to find Black Flag. What Steel wasn't too thankful for was the condition he'd found Black Flag in. He was just like the other ponies; a thousand-yard stare into nothingness and the awful aroma of semen choking the air around him. His belly was engorged as well, just like the...other colt that Steel split in half without mercy. Was he going to have to do the same to Black Flag?

"Come on Black Flag," Steel said lowly as he put down his torch and sliced through the straps that held the unicorn in his restraints, which caused the poor stallion to fall to the floor lifelessly. Steel knew there was no way he would be able to cut through the restraints with his sword; he simply lacked the proper finesse for such a thing. But he was beginning to come to the conclusion that it wouldn't really matter anyway. It was pretty clear that the unicorn and the other captives were all basically vegetables at this point, unable to think for themselves.  
Steel picked up the torch off the ground and whirled around, swinging the torch to illuminate the darkness that enshrouded him and hindered his sight. As he looked around, he came to the horrid realization that there was no way he could lead all of these ponies out of this hive. At most, he was able to carry Black Flag out of this damn hive on his back, but would it be worth the trouble? Would it really be worth leaving that Pegasus with a mentally deficient stallion to take care of? Well, he still needed to keep his word and return Black Flag back home safely. After that was done, then maybe Steel could help Red find a nice psychiatric ward for Black Flag, along with a hospital to get those eggs surgically removed from his stomach.

But what was he supposed to do with the rest of the ponies? Steel sat down on the cold hard floor and began to think his decision over. Perhaps he could carry them all out one at a time. No, that would take too much time. Maybe he could go find help? That also wasn't an option; for the same reasons. He didn't even know how he would find his way back here. And what if more Changelings came back to the hive while he was away? There was no way Steel could take on a full hive by himself; he knew that they would quickly overrun him even if he brought some help. Perhaps it would be better to just...ease their pain.

Steel stood up and looked around once again, observing the cold and emotionless expressions of the ponies around him. Yes, maybe he should do that. It might be their only choice for escape. So, the warrior began the slow and painful task of beheading each and every pony. One slash was enough to send their heads rolling across the smooth floor; followed by a geyser of blood spewing from their necks. The crimson fluid matted down his fur like water; a morbid paint upon an organic canvas. By the time he was done, Steel didn't even have the energy to hold his sword anymore. It fell from his mouth with a loud clang and he followed suit; collapsing to the ground in an exhausted heap.

The next morning, Steel stirred awake to the rancid smell of decay. It was potent enough that it made him want to vomit, but he miraculously managed to avoid doing so. Powerful rays of the glorious sunlight poured in through the opening of the structure; bleeding out such a blood-red light as he came to the realization that the sounds around him were just as still and lifeless as the night before. Steel got up and harnessed his sword, slinging it over for the millionth time; a routine that Steel memorized flawlessly. Honestly, he could probably do it in his sleep.

Steel silently made his way to the back of the breeding room; brushing aside countless heads with every step he took. He didn't even notice them. It wasn't that he didn't feel anything or that he didn't care about the lives that he'd ended, he just didn't want to think about them. He carefully picked up Black Flag, slung him over his back like a sack, and began to make his way outside. It was going to be a long journey back home. As he made his way out of the hive, he saw the limp corpse of Rosine lying motionless on the ground; her head twisted almost completely backward. At least she died relatively quickly; especially when the alternative was dehydration or worse, starving to death.  
And quite a long journey it was indeed. Steel didn't quite remember the proper way out of the forest, so he just started walking in the opposite direction of the hive's entrance. And with every step, his ears were perked and his eyes were alert; on the watch for anything that might have even resembled those insectoid monsters. He wouldn't let those fucks catch him off-guard again, not when he was so close to being free of this burden. So close, yet so far. He just kept walking and walking for several hours. In fact, by the time the trees finally began to thin out, it was almost dusk once again. Which, at that moment, Steel realized that he wasn't anywhere near the battlefield but instead on the outskirts of that field he and Flag passed through earlier on their travels.

"Well, this was a little unexpected," Steel said with a sigh as he began to make his way towards those familiar ruins. He was just going to sleep there for the night and make the rest of the way back to Red Ink in the morning. Simple as that. He hiked up around the tower until he reached the base of the tarnished structure, and by then the moon was high in the sky. Full, round, and fat. Steel carefully laid the stallion that he'd carried all this way down on the cold ground; hiding him in the shadows and wrapping him in his cloak like a blanket. Next went his sword, which he laid down beside Black Flag before Steel stretched out and began to watch the stars as he waited for sleep to overtake him, which came sooner than he thought it would; under an hour.

However, it was in the middle of the night that Steel felt a form kick against his side. He shot awake; unsure of what in the world could have possibly done that. Was Black Flag finally coming back to his senses? No, there was no way he would be able to move around with such a bloated stomach. Besides, Black Flag probably knew better than to kick Steel; lest he wanted to get a beating that would leave some nasty bruises after Steel was done with him. He looked over to his left and saw a stallion clad in thick armor from his head to his hooves. And while Steel couldn't see the soldier's face in the darkness, the moon was bright enough to reveal the long flowing locks of a mane as white as snow. And Steel was just about to bolt up and give this soldier a proper lesson in etiquette, but it was at that moment he saw the sword's blade pointed right at his throat.

"Where is he?" The soldier said with a voice as cold as ice. No, it wasn't some random soldier; Steel recognized that voice. It was a fuzzy memory, but he remembered. What was Red doing here? And where did he get that armor? Steel knew he'd seen it somewhere in his youth; perhaps on a guard or a...mercenary. No, there was no way that was the same suit of armor. But the polished white steel that seemed to gleam and shine like a mirror's surface was completely unmistakable. Apparently, Steel wasn't answering Red Ink's question quickly enough, so the Pegasus smacked him across the muzzle with the flat end of his blade; which was cold enough to send chills down the warrior's spine, and Red repeated his question once more.

"Black Flag is..." Steel paused for a moment to stand up; using those precious seconds to think of an appropriate phrase that he could use to break the news to Red Ink without coming off as too blunt. Now that he was a bit closer, he could make out the finer details of the Pegasus's face. "Black Flag is alive, but he needs to see a hospital as soon as possible." Steel could immediately see the shock and horror wash over Red Ink like a tidal wave as he processed the terrifying information.

"What did you do?!" Red Ink screamed; his voice cracking under the immense stress. However, that stress and fear quickly shifted to a fit of blind rage and hatred towards the Earth stallion mercenary. "I heard his voice; he told me he was here and needed my help! So you hurry the fuck up and tell me where he is right this second or, Celestia so help me, I'm gonna ram this sword through your guts hilt and all, you worthless sack of shit!"

"Damn it, calm down for a second and listen to me!" Steel screamed, not sure what Red meant by hearing Black Flag's voice. Surely Red must have been going crazy, but how did the Pegasus know Steel would be here? This couldn't have been right, not one bit. There must have been something foul at work, but Steel hadn't the faintest idea of what it could be. Honestly, this whole adventure reeked of something foul and sinister, but this was just the cherry on top. "Black Flag is still alive, but like I said he is gonna need medical attention as soon as possible. Here, I'll show you what I mean."  
Steel hurriedly pulled Black Flag, who was thankfully fast asleep and hadn't been awoken by the screaming, out of the shadows still wrapped up in Steel's warm cloak. Red Ink dropped his sword to the ground and bolted over to the unicorn and began to shake the stallion desperately. The unicorn's eyes fluttered open, but they were as empty and clueless as before. The eyes which used to burn so brightly with joy and energy were now as dull and dim as the bleak nothingness of the abyss.

"Black Flag," Red Ink whispered, his voice trembling; barely above a whisper. Steel could see the tears that dampened the Pegasus' cheeks. The poor pony was finally beginning to realize just how hopeless Black Flag's situation was. How sad indeed. "Come on Black Flag, wake up. It's me, Red Ink! Come on Flag, come on! Please wake up! Chatter on about something, please do something to tell me you're okay and that this isn't some horrible nightmare!"

But alas, there wasn't a peep from the brain-dead unicorn. He just stared vacantly at his friend, seeming to not even notice that he was there in the first place. A line of drool began to drag down his chin; marring his fur before dropping off to the ground below without even the faintest sound. All was quiet for a few moments before the Pegasus slowly turned his head to lock gazes with Shattering Steel. He stood up, grabbed his sword, and uttered five words.

"I'm going to kill you!" The Pegasus roared before he broke into a charge straight for Steel, his blade aimed right at the Earth stallion's chest. Thankfully, Steel managed to roll to the side in time and evade the blow, which was lucky for him or else his life would have come to a rather painful end. Red Ink managed to stop in time, and kept from falling to his doom. He stopped there, and stared down at the shadowy ground below, before turning around to face Shattering Steel.

"So tired," Red Ink murmured quietly. "I am just so tired. Everything has been for naught," With these words, Red Ink began to fall backward and he went tumbling over the edge of the hill before plummeting down to the earth far below. Steel raced to the edge and watched in horror as Red didn't even try to break his fall with his wings, ending the descent with an audible snap as his neck was broken upon impact due to both the fall and the weight of Red's armor dragging him down, which even despite his experience in warfare still made Steel cringe in pain from the sound alone. What didn't help was the sight of Red Ink's neck twisted so unnaturally.

But just as Steel was about to descend the hill to retrieve the corpse, he began to hear laughter. Horrible and hollow fits of laughter coming from the bottom of the fill. He immediately turned around and looked down towards the earth below just in time to see Red Ink stand back up; his neck seeming to twist back into place with those horrid snapping sounds continuing with each movement. What in the name of Celestia was going on?

"I must thank you Steel," The reanimated carcass said as it flew into the air; bones shaking lifelessly even as it moved around. It clearly wasn't Red Ink talking through that body. Steel's first guess was an angry spirit, but even that didn't make sense. A possessed body usually didn't retain the ability to speak. What was he dealing with? "It took me such a long time to finally gain a body once again, but I have finally done it!"  
"Who or what are you?" Steel growled like an enraged hound, ready to grab his sword and fight back at a moment's notice. In the light of the pale moon above them, which seemed to burn with an unnatural luminosity, Steel could see a pair of glowing yellow eyes behind that white helmet. No, this wasn't just some spirit who died in the field of battle. It was something far more sinister than that. But what could it possibly be?

"My name is Rising Sun," The mysterious entity said with a smile as it seemed to stare directly into Shattering Steel's soul. "I rejected my mortality for a new chance at life granted to me by the generosity of Nightmare Moon, and I shall return her blessing in exchange for playing my part to returning her to her throne and give her former glory back to her in kind. At last, this grand continent will be back to the ways of old, before regulation and laws took hold of everything! When Celestia is finally dead, the history books shall call me one of the greatest anarchists of our time."

"Anarchist? A fucking anarchist?" Steel gasped, having to try his very hardest to keep from begin bursting into a fit of hysterics. That was one of the best jokes he'd heard in a very long time. "An anarchist that wants to "fix" our land is to kill the current ruler...and replace her with another, even shittier ruler? Give me a break. If you're an anarchist, then the sky is yellow, the grass is orange, and the world has literally just turned upside down and we are currently rocketing towards space. And, dare tell, how many ponies did you sacrifice in exchange for coming back?"

"Tell me, do you know how many individual strands are in that hideous mane of yours? The amount would probably be a little bit larger than that," Rising Sun said, his smug tone pissing Steel off even more than the bastard already was.

"You know something, you worthless sack of shit and maggots?" Steel retorted, his voice burning with rage and hatred. "You are nothing but scum. Cowardly, repulsive scum that will be forgotten within a few generations. I promise you this: Your death will not be a merciful one. I swear on my life that you are going to suffer."

"Gah, how dare you insult me? I'll cut you to ribbons and use your blood to summon the Princess of the Night for saying that," Rising Sun screamed, clearly not very amused by the stallion's jest. It was almost like the behavior of a young foal who wasn't getting what he wanted. The Pegasus dove back to the ground to retrieve his sword, while Steel grabbed his own sword, ready to cleave that bastard in two. If snapping his neck didn't kill him, maybe a hunk of iron through his skull would. Honestly, it was beginning to make sense why Red Ink said he heard the voice of Black Flag. Spirits and the like could be crafty tricksters, so imitating a voice probably wouldn't have been that hard for a supernatural force like that.

But what Steel saw coming back up the side of the mountain wasn't Red Ink's body but merely a blur of white streaking up the sky before barreling straight for Steel. Fuck, that couldn't be good. Not wanting to get impaled by that broadsword Red carried with him even to his death, Steel dropped his sword and rolled out of the way to evade the strike. Where did that bastard get so much speed? Fuck, he must have been wearing some kind of magic armor. He needed to find a way around this problem and he needed to come up with it fast.

That blur of speed didn't hesitate for even a second, having not even a hint of a warrior's honor running through Rising Sun's veins. As Steel was getting up, the stallion rammed into him with full force. The sudden impact of the metal armor against Steel's ribs was enough to crack those poor bones, eliciting a loud roar of pain as agony washed over the stallion. He rolled for several feet before coming to a stop mere inches away from the edge of the hill.

"You cannot defeat somepony as perfect as I! Fighting me is useless! Useless useless useless useless useless!" As he heard these words, Steel staggered and slowly stood up, getting only a moment of relief before he saw the blur coming for him once again, aiming right for Steel's skull. He knew he didn't have the time to dodge this one. Was this the end for him? Just as the blade was about to pierce his flesh and put an end to this duel, Steel turned his head away to try and minimize the damage. A roaring fire of agony and pain shot through him as the blade was shoved through his cheeks, but he was still alive. However, that gave Steel an idea. He sank his teeth into the sword's blade as hard as he could, locking it in place.  
Steel could feel blood pouring from his wounds into his mouth, but he didn't care. He kept that blade held firmly in place firmly enough that no matter how his opponent squirmed and yanked on the sword it wasn't going to budge. Now, it was time for phase two of his little plan. Steel yanked his head forward, which threw his foe off-balance and sent him tumbling to the hard cobblestone floor. Now it was time to put an end to this mess.

The large stallion, with the blade still jammed in his cheeks, lunged on top of the Pegasus before he had a chance to get back up, and placed his hooves on either side of his opponent's head. And that was when he began to pull. The stallion below him began to scream and beg for him to stop, to show mercy upon him, but Shattering Steel wasn't having any of that. It wasn't like the body that this piece of worthless shit had possessed could feel the pain. Nope, only the spirit inside of Red Ink's body would feel the flesh being ripped apart. And as such, those screams of pain, along with the sounds of tearing muscle and skin, fell on deaf ears until they finally stopped with one final shrieking _wryyyyyyy_ that was put to a sudden stop when the head was ripped from the Pegasus's body. The neck was torn and bloody, but the battle was finally over. Stee looked in the eyes of the deceased stallion and no longer saw those uncanny yellow eyes burning under that helmet. Only the soft blue orbs of Black Flag's friend. Maybe at last he would be at peace. Steel carefully put down the decapitated head, before carefully pulling the blade out of his mouth and chucking it over the side of the tower; only satisfied once he heard it smacking against cobblestone.

Steel knew he didn't have any time to rest. He slung his sword over his back and grabbed Black Flag once more, hoisting him on his back. Now they both needed a trip to the hospital. At least the unicorn would have some company.


End file.
